Beating your child when they misbehave could land you in trouble with the law as an Orange Farm mother discovered.

When her 11-year-old daughter returned home in the afternoon after not sleeping at home the previous night, the mother was so infuriated she gave the child a hiding with a belt.

But, on Monday morning, the girl's mother and her aunt, who also participated in the beating, were arrested on charges of child abuse .

Police spokesman Captain Johannes Motsiri said the principal at the girl's school notified police after seeing bruises on the girl's body.

The suspects are expected to appear in the Vereeniging Magistrate's Court soon. The girl is meanwhile being kept in a safe place with relatives.

Although there is no law that prohibits parents from punishing their children, the Children's Amendment Bill passed by parliament in 2007 says children should be protected from any form of violence.

According to Childline Gauteng director Lynne Cawood, effective parents do not need to use corporal force to discipline a child. She said effective parents reason with their children and consider their point of view even though they do not agree with them.

In a statement earlier this year, Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini encouraged parents to use other forms of discipline as opposed to corporal punishment on their children.

"Teenagers need caring adults to help them control their behaviour and should be able to respect the parent or caregiver's authority without harsh discipline such as corporal punishment, verbal abuse and name calling, as these are harmful to children's self-esteem . and may condition children to use violence to solve their own problems," Dlamini said.