Germany prohibited corporal punishment in schools in the 1970's. Some 25 years later, in 2000, the German Government passed a comparable law prohibiting physical/corporal punishment in the family for parents. It was argued that the experience of physical punishment in the family holds many risks for children’s development. This legislative change was primarily to give parents new guidelines on how to behave towards their children. The new law had a primarily symbolic meaning. This study concentrated on the anticipated effects of the new law. In addition, it examined the impact of the law, specifically has the prohibition of corporal punishment had any significant impact on the behavior, attitudes, or communication of parents and children? Nationwide surveys were conducted in 2001 and 2002 and then compared with studies undertaken in the 1990's using identically structured questions covering the same topics. However, interviewed parents and adolescents were not related and did not live in the same households. Results showed that the prohibition of physical punishment has had a proven impact on three dimensions, demonstrating its symbolic meaning: (1) increase in legal sensibility and consciousness; (2) sensitized perception and definition of physical punishment as violence; and (3) stimulation of family discussions on sanctioning styles and on the legal limits of physical punishment. Figures and references