The study investigated perspectives on corporal punishment of adolescents from street families in Manila, with the aim of creating actions that address the issue in that specific context. Participatory action research (PAR) was employed as a research design, collecting qualitative data with 11 youth, selected through purposive sampling. Results showed that harsh corporal punishment is highly normative in that context, most frequently physically and emotionally abusive, and often co‐occurs with verbal abuse. It has negative effects on the youth's feelings towards, and their relationship with, their parents, and it leads to defiant behaviours. The youth planned an action project to address the issue of corporal punishment in their families: producing a video clip and holding a parents' meeting. Through the PAR process, the youth were empowered to voice their feelings and perceptions and to take action to address the issue of corporal punishment in their families and in the wider community. The study demonstrated how PAR can serve as a pathway towards empowerment for a very vulnerable group. ‘Investigated perspectives on corporal punishment of adolescents from street families in Manila’ Key Practitioner Messages: Little is known about children's perceptions related to corporal punishment, and children remain powerless to address this issue which most often happens in the intimate family context. Harsh corporal punishment is a highly normative experience for street youth in Manila, and is often physically and verbally abusive. The PAR process served as a pathway to empowerment for the youth, enabling them to address the issue of corporal punishment in their context. ‘Little is known about children's perceptions related to corporal punishment’