A Massachusetts court ruled Thursday that parents cannot be held criminally liable for spanking their children as long as they use “reasonable” force and don’t cause kids physical harm or mental distress. Still, experts say that even though spanking may be permissible, it’s not advisable.

In its ruling, the Supreme Judicial Court overturned the conviction of a dad who publicly spanked his daughter in 2011. At the time, the little girl was almost 3 years old. In their decision, the justices said that spanking “remains firmly woven into our nation’s social fabric” and “it follows that we must guard against the imposition of criminal sanctions for the use of parenting techniques still widely regarded as permissible and warranted.” MORE