A smack is normally somewhere on the body besides the face. It could be on the arm or leg. A slap is with the palm of the hand on to the face. A spank is normally with the palm of the hand on the buttocks or back of the thighs. Some people spank with a belt, wooden spoon, a cane, or a slipper. A spanking that leaves a bruises or causes even a little bit of bleeding is considered a beating If any of the above is towards a child in Australia, it is classed as child abuse.

Spanking refers to the act of striking the buttocks of another person to cause temporary pain without producing physical injury. The act of smacking something/someone, a blow delivered with an open hand. A slap is a broad stroke made with the open hand or the back of the hand, usually across the face,