Do you believe kids should be spanked ?

[Peter Parka]

I agree with spanking, I see plenty of kids who would be much more use to society if they had been spanked. I dont believe in violence toward kids which causes long term damage but sometimes, a good smack is the only language kids can understand. Police giving little hooligans a clip round the ear teaches them more than giving them an asbo and hindering their chances of getting a job when the're older.

 

[PDeverit]

Spirit of the law or letter of the law?: The vast majority of professionals agree that child buttock-battering isn’t healthy. A marginal few (mostly religious fundamentalists as those at Calvin) think that child bottom-slapping is good. They use the same selective literalist interpretation of the Bible as was used to justify “witch”-burning, depraved torture methods for those accused of sin and heresy, slavery, racism, wife-beating, oppression of women and a host of other social ills.

 

[PDeverit]

People used to think it was necessary to "spank" adult members of the community, military trainees, and prisoners. In some countries they still do. In our country, it is considered sexual assault if a person over the age of 18 is "spanked", but only if over the age of 18.

For one thing, buttock-battering can vibrate the pudendal nerve, which can lead to sexual arousal. There are multitudinous other physiological ways in which it can be sexually abusive, but I won't list them all here. One can use the resources I've posted if they want to learn more.


Child bottom-battering/slapping vs. DISCIPLINE:

Child bottom-battering (euphemistically labeled "spanking","swatting","switching","smacking", "paddling",or other cute-sounding names) for the purpose of gaining compliance is nothing more than an inherited bad habit.

Its a good idea for people to take a look at what they are doing, and learn how to DISCIPLINE instead of hit.

I think the reason why television shows like "Supernanny" and "Dr. Phil" are so popular is because that is precisely what many (not all) people are trying to do.

There are several reasons why child bottom-slapping isn't a good idea. Here are some good, quick reads recommended by professionals:

Plain Talk About Spanking
by Jordan Riak,

The Sexual Dangers of Spanking Children
by Tom Johnson,

NO VITAL ORGANS THERE, So They Say
by Lesli Taylor M.D. and Adah Maurer Ph.D.

Most compelling of all reasons to abandon this worst of all bad habits is the fact that buttock-battering can be unintentional sexual abuse for some children. There is an abundance of educational resources, testimony, documentation, etc available on the subject that can easily be found by doing a little research with the recommended reads-visit main.

Just a handful of those helping to raise awareness of why child bottom-slapping isn't a good idea:

American Academy of Pediatrics,
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry,
American Psychological Association,
Center For Effective Discipline,
Churches' Network For Non-Violence,
Nobel Peace Prize recipient Archbishop Desmond Tutu,
Parenting In Jesus' Footsteps,
Global Initiative To End All Corporal Punishment of Children,
United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

In 26 countries, child corporal punishment is prohibited by law (with more in process). In fact, the US was the only UN member that did not ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

 

[Laure]

I'm not against spanking, but I don't spank my own kids for personal reasons. When their father and I were married, he beat the hell out of me almost daily. They, unfortunately, were witnesses to most of it and if somebody even looks like they're going to smack them, they freak. However, under normal circumstances, I don't think there's anything wrong with a swat on the butt or hand. I don't like the idea of belts or paddles, though. And nothing more than a quick "attention getter".

 

[satinbutterfly]

I was spanked, paddled, and belted. Obviously it did no good. :ninja

Seriously though... I think the parent should decide if it's right for their child or not. Personally, I'm not against it.

 

[teh_fuzz]

I rekon a good asshoopin is in order sometimes...
the most i'd do is bring out the belt at which point it hardly gets used! lol

and if any of you have seen my kids, you can see i spanking my cute little boogers is not easy.

Im not all about beating your kids but at times there is a line to be drawn.

My mom did not spank me or belt me, she belted me once because she thought i had stolen some money, but then after she talked to my gramma, she found out i did not steal it, gramma gave it to me (and no, my ggramma would never cover for any of her grand kids lol)

 

[Kat]

hmm... I always swore when i had kids i wouldnt spank them...my mom used to keep a wooden or metal spoon in the car to spank us with....shed pull over no matter where we were to spank us...

do i spank k. sometimes....absolutly...but nothing phases her...not time outs not taking away all her toys...nothing...sometimes its only the spanking that does it...though i stop at a hand spanking...never will i raise a wooden/metal spoon/ or anything else against her.

a swat on the butt works sometimes for k. when nothing else seems to sink in...but i will only do it when i know how much force is applied.

i cant tell you how many times my mother broke one of her wooden spoons on my lower back because she missed where she was aiming. that does not work

 

[Jessica]

I don't think they should use spanking. most kids (should) get grounded. but I don't...my parents just yell..however a lot of times my parents use a ruler to spank :S

 

[Artemis]

I wouldn't hit my kids. Physical punishment just freaked the hell out of me as a kid. They said later that it was for my own good and that their parents did it to them, but really, so what? I still did stuff. You can get kids disciplined without hurting them.

 

[GuesSAngel]

My husband and I don't spank our son. I believe it takes discipline to keep kids in line and not have them get away with the crap that they want to get away with. I only look at spanking as frustration from the parent onto the kid.

 

[AUDRAA]

Ever heard of Love and Logic? great parenting tool It works awesome with my daughter

 

[Peter Parka]

I don't think they should use spanking. most kids (should) get grounded. but I don't...my parents just yell..however a lot of times my parents use a ruler to spank :S

But if you got grounded, how would that punish you seeing you spend all your free time at home on the internet anyway?

 

[Goat Whisperer]

I remember being spanked as a kid and I'm glad I did. It made me afraid of crossing my mom until like 10th grade, and until then I had perfect attendence, grades, etc. After I lost that fear I became a worse student, and I know that's the reason. I wouldn't have done as well if I hadn't been spanked I really think that way.

 

[lauryn tom]

I was spanked when I was a kid and I think it was my parent's way to threaten or teach me not to do the bad stuffs again. It worked for me. I feared my parents that's why I was really good as a kid. But I would not suggest spanking. It has different effects on different sets of kids. Better think of another way to punish or teach kids

 

[Jessica]

But if you got grounded, how would that punish you seeing you spend all your free time at home on the internet anyway?

my parents don't ground me

 

[Goat Whisperer]

my parents don't ground me

Neither does mine... she has to do is guilt trip me lol I am weak

 

[Jessica]

I think mine doesn't because they are Chinese...but I may be wrong

 

[Tim]

Please no Pedo-bear pictures.

 

[nova]

Up until kids 8 or 10, children are little better than animals and if you don't instill discipline in them early, you never will. Up until they're 5 or 6, they should just know to do as they're told or else. From then on you can start explaining more and more the "why's" of things. By the time time they're teenagers they'll probably have a good sense of right and wrong.

Thats the way both me and my sister were raised and I am a productive upstanding member of society and my little sister is well on her way.

My wife's family took a much more hands off (literally and figuratively) approach with the end result being that my wife is the only one who's a fully functioning member of society, having went to college, went to med school and is going through residency.

One sister got pregnant at 16, dropped out of school, has been and is on drugs, has been and is in trouble with the law, lived with a drug addict for a while, ditched him to later marry and ex-con (who oddly enough is enough is a 100% straight arrow who is a good influence on her).

The other sister is about the same and is giver her best effort to get herself killed before her 21st birthday.

 

[DemonicMuse]

My parents used to always make us think we were going to get spanked. The fear of physical beating always scared me and my siblings so the argument or mishap was over then. The line "I'll pull over and spank you on the side of the road right now" always scared us. One time I felt smart so I said " Yeah, well I'll call children's helpline". My mom gave me her cell phone and told me to do it then; she called my bluff.