Pennsylvania Statutes

§ 509 — Use of force by persons with special responsibility for care, discipline or safety

Pennsylvania § 509
JurisdictionPennsylvania
Title 18CRIMES AND OFFENSES
PartPART I
Ch. 5GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF JUSTIFICATION

This text of Pennsylvania § 509 (Use of force by persons with special responsibility for care, discipline or safety) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
18 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 509 (2026).

Text

The use of force upon or toward the person of another is justifiable if:

(1)The actor is the parent or guardian or other person similarly responsible for the general care and supervision of a minor or a person acting at the request of such parent, guardian or other responsible person and:
(i)the force is used for the purpose of safeguarding or promoting the welfare of the minor, including the preventing or punishment of his misconduct; and
(ii)the force used is not designed to cause or known to create a substantial risk of causing death, serious bodily injury, disfigurement, extreme pain or mental distress or gross degradation.
(2)The actor is a teacher or person otherwise entrusted with the care or supervision for a special purpose of a minor and:
(i)the actor believes that the

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Legislative History

(Oct. 21, 1988, P.L.1000, No.115, eff. imd.; Apr. 16, 1992, P.L.108, No.24, eff. 60 days) Cross References.Section 509 is referred to in section 8340.2 of Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedure).

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Bluebook (online)
Pennsylvania § 509, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/statute/pa/18/509.