Physicians have an obligation to report parents to the local Child Protective Services if they suspect that the parents are using corporal punishment as a form of discipline.
A historical review shows how medicine's focus has changed from the time of Hippocratic physicians to present-day medicine to focus on the patient as an individual.
The Declaration of Professional Responsibility was created by the AMA in the wake of the 2001 terrorist attacks and is supported by many medical and specialty societies.