<p>It’s not an easy thing to study. I think a lot of the statements about corporal punishment are essentially opinions, with somewhat weak evidence to back them up. Here’s an interesting summary of a meta-study, as well as critiques of the study: <a href=“Is corporal punishment an effective means of discipline?”>Internal Server Error. There may be something more recent–I’d be interested. The article references the idea I mentioned above, that mild corporal punishment may not be harmful, but there’s significant danger that many people will go beyond mild corporal punishment.</p>
<p>Smacking them or not, it is really parents’ choice to the point of NOT making any physical damage.
Now, the question is - does it work. From my personal experience (I have smacked, not ashamed, not proud, just the fact), punishment in general (including smacking) just does not work. Spoiling them, bribing them works like a charm. Sends them straight to the Medical School one after another. Making them incredibly outgoing, willing to help anybody and outrageously ambitious individuals with wide range interests. This is our family experience across several generations. </p>
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Spoiling and bribing works to an extent, but you’re going to have a spoiled brat on your hands if you don’t add some discipline* in there. </p>
<p>*Not saying this discipline has to be spanking (or beating) your kids.</p>
<p>actually there is research that is quite recent and finds negative effects of spanking.</p>
<p><a href=“http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2013/10/16/peds.2013-1227”>http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2013/10/16/peds.2013-1227</a></p>
<p>These results demonstrate negative effects of spanking on child behavioral and cognitive development in a longitudinal sample from birth through 9 years of age.</p>
<p><a href=“Columbia School of Social Work | Graduate & MSW Programs in NYC”>Columbia School of Social Work | Graduate & MSW Programs in NYC;
<p><a href=“Spanking children slows cognitive development and increases risk of criminal behavior, expert says -- ScienceDaily”>http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/12/131211103958.htm</a></p>
<p>“More than 20 nations now prohibit spanking by parents. There is an emerging consensus that this is a fundamental human right for children. The United Nations is asking all nations to prohibit spanking. Never spanking will not only reduce the risk of delinquency and mental health problems, it also will bring to children the right to be free of physical attacks in the name of discipline, just as wives gained that human right a century and a quarter ago,” Straus says.
Widely considered the foremost researcher in his field, Straus has studied spanking by large and representative samples of American parents since 1969. He has received numerous honors and awards for his research, including Life Fellow of the International Society for Research in Aggression, and fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.</p>
<p>Guidance does not meaning spoiling a child and letting them have their own way. It is about teaching a child the way to act by showing them and allowing them to make some mistakes along the way (an redirecting them when they do rather than punishing them). Physical discipline and other harsh punishments assume the child knew what to do. How do we as a society expect a young child to automatically know how to act if we’ve never taught them?</p>
<p>I would like my kids to THINK that the teacher could spank them to the point of bruising. But I would go ballistic if some teacher actually hit my kid! </p>
<p>When I was little, I bruised very easily. Apparently, (I have no recollection of this) the first time my mom gave me one swat on the behind after I was out of diapers, it left a hand print shaped bruise. She was horrified. I never got spanked again, but I didn’t know till much later that that was why. </p>
<p>I’m with Hunt. Whiny voices saying “mommy doesn’t like that” does nothing for a lippy, mouthy kid. Spanking with an object or to the point of bruising is alittle extreme although I had a hairbrush broken on my derriere and I turned out OK. Two of our three kids got one wallop on the behind when they got alittle precocious with my husband. #3 learned “what not to do or say” through observation. #1 and #2 never did it again. I have to admit there are alot of out of control, tantrum throwing kids in public these days that could use a parent that would shock them into obedience by whatever means or at the vary minimum grab the parents and say “be a parent why dontcha.” There times when I’d like to grab them all kids and parents firmly and let them know what acceptable behavior is 
but I restrain myself. </p>
<p>I dislike the whole “I was hit and I turned out fine!” because after working with DV, I’ve come to learn that kids are extremely resilient but that doesn’t make it ok. I knew kids who were burned, beaten, and threatened with death routinely that turned out just fine, but that doesn’t make it right by a long shot. </p>
<p>I was never hit and neither were my parents. I also wasn’t spoiled by a long shot. Clearly, I can’t speak as to my own parenting style as I don’t have kids. </p>
<p>I do not approve of turning to violence, in any way. I just think there are better ways of handling the situation and yes, there are studies showing negative effects. </p>
<p>As I read the bill - before it was withdrawn - it not only enabled parents but others to hit children to the point of injury. That’s barbaric.</p>
<p>And it’s bluntly stupid. Let’s say a teacher hits a child and intends to go maybe to the point of bruising and that’s all but the kid is hurt worse. Does that suddenly transform the act into a felony? If so, how? I’m speaking legally because this kind of felony requires intent, so the legal difficulty is that you intend to hit legally but then you don’t hit legally because the results come out wrong and the intent is somehow magically inserted so the act is treated as a felony? Or even worse, imagine the intent is to bruise and it goes too far and that is negligence … and where’s the criminal act in that? Is it now a misdemeanor to commit bodily harm? It’s hard to make negligence a felony - put aside the obvious cases like the guy who claims he was hitting to bruise but used a crowbar.</p>
<p>It may be that being spanked makes you more violent, but it seems to me that not being spanked may make you more self-righteous.</p>
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But the choice is not between spanking and saying “mommy doesn’t like that” in a “whiny voice.” I don’t understand why that’s the comparison. Ineffective is ineffective, whether you’re spanking or whining.</p>
<p>I’ve been through many CC go-rounds on the topic of corporal punishment and would be surprised to read something here about spanking I haven’t seen before. We have people who “turned out fine” who were spanked, and people who “turned out fine” who were never spanked. Some parents choose to spank, some would never consider it. I’m willing to believe that many loving parents spank their children. But spanking obviously is not the only way to raise happy, productive, secure kids, since so many of those kids were not spanked. What I don’t understand is how some parents come to see spanking as their best option.</p>
<p>Not all kids respond to “bribing” and “spoiling”. Some children require highly attentive and intensive discipline. Not every parent can provide that level of attention and energy. Spanking can provide the same level of obedience in a shorter amount of time than certain guidance techniques. The kid turns out the same and all is well. It may not be for everyone, but it works for parents. </p>
<p>I don’t see it as an issue of whether or not we like the idea of spanking kids, but a question of whether or not giving a kid a smack on the bottom is something so egregious that we think the state has any right to outlaw it. There are plenty of decisions that parents make that I don’t agree with, many of which are, I believe, probably more harmful than mild spanking. Is home-schooling a kid in a fundamentalist religious curriculum that isn’t preparing him or her for the real world less bad for kids than spanking? How about raising a kid to harbor virulently racist beliefs, or even putting pressure on a son to be a “tough guy” and refrain from showing emotion? These are all harmful things, but I don’t think we should start banning them.</p>
<p>Sure, if parents want to deny their kids life-saving medical treatment or beat them black and blue, we rightly step in as a society. But short of stepping in to prevent that kind of immediate harm, I think it is dangerous to start giving the state that much control over how people raise their kids. Our range of tolerated behaviors can’t be so narrow as to say, in effect, “If I disagree with it, I want it criminalized”</p>
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<p>One factor which complicates this discussion and makes it so folks on both sides could have validating experiences is that each individual child has a unique individual personality ranging from being highly compliant and eager to please to being an utterly rebellious incorrigible and hard to control “devil may care” rebel. </p>
<p>As such, the very measures/punishments which may work effectively on one child may be less/completely ineffective with another. </p>
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<p>I started this thread, and that is not remotely what it is about. This thread is not about criminalizing mild spanking. It is about a bill which legalizes child beating. It legalizes spanking which leaves marks and BRUISES. What about that is “mild?”</p>
<p>Yes, you started the thread but, like so many, it has evolved. The three posts before my own, as well as some before that were all about whether it is EVER right to spank - we seem to be in general agreement that spanking to the point of injury is unacceptable. </p>
<p>^^^^I’m not seeing a lot of posts advocating the criminalization of mild spanking. I do see a lot of posts saying that spanking is an inappropriate method of discipline.</p>
<p>My personal view with my own kids was that spanking may work with some children. But I also knew from personal experience that other methods could work very well to teach children to become good citizens. If I have several effective methods at my disposal, why would I choose hitting my kids over other effective tactics? ESPECIALLY if one of the lessons I wanted my kids to learn is that it’s not okay to hit people when you are mad?</p>
<p>As I said earlier, I get the whole smack the bottom thing. It’s certainly quicker and easier than taking the time to use other methods of teaching and guidance. </p>
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This is the kind of comment that makes it very difficult to discuss this topic. Of course, I can be as self-righteous as the next person, which you can observe on the threads about vaccinations.</p>
<p>^^^^But it’s true. It IS quick and easy, and is almost done instinctively. You cannot deny that.</p>