<p>When I was a kid, occasionally a child would be called out into the hall by the principal. You could hear the sound of a wooden paddle being applied to the kid’s backside. The whole thing always upset me; sometimes the kid would cry out in pain, sometimes not. Sometimes they would return to the classroom in tears, others were able to control their emotions. A few displayed bravado, a “that was nothing” attitude, but I always felt it was an act, a face saving tactic.</p>
<p>I felt at the time that “getting licks” had to be the worst thing that could ever happen to you, and if the intent of this corporal punishment was to scare kids into behaving, it certainly was effective for me.</p>
<p>I found it quite effective at getting my full attention and not repeating the action. Infrequent and as far as I can recall well deserved. Better than more “adult treatments” such as grounding. Now that I hated and it never really stopped me. That’s when you learned to lie and not get caught if possible. I liked the quick and it is over nature of a spanking.</p>
<p>It’s a strange question to ask in a college forum, but the answer will be very culture- and time-specific. </p>
<p>My father was lightly struck with a belt on the back of the legs by his father in the 30s when he was caught lying or disobeying. So were all his friends. It was expected. My mother’s parents had a paddle with my mother’s name on one side and her brother’s name on the other. When they were cleaning out the house after my grandparents’ death, they found it and were actually arguing over who would get to keep it. They laughed about it. They knew their parents loved them. My parents spanked us between the ages of 2-6 or so and stopped when we reached “the age of reason.” I did not spank, but I had a fairly compliant child. If I had a strongwilled child, I might have at a certain point in his/her development.</p>
<p>Corporal punishment was very, very common earlier in the 20th century and no one thought it was outlandish or abusive. Children also had a lot more physical freedom than they do now, and adults weren’t hovering over them constantly to keep them from getting in trouble.</p>
<p>I find it irritating when we look back on previous ages in smugness about our supposed virtue. I don’t think most people today are better parents than my grandparents or parents were. </p>
<p>Re the lying: who honestly believes that small kids don’t lie anymore now that we don’t spank them? Really?</p>
<p>I’ll just say this. My kids went to a private school that allowed it. I knew my daughter would never “earn” it, yet she was traumatized by OTHERS having it. I knew it would not “phase” my son. When he “earned” it, I chuckled and said “go for it.” (it was called a “swat”). They tried it once, and then resorted to praying. Not sure whether it was for them or him!</p>
<p>In my work, I believe that by the time you’ve resorted to that more than once, you need a new plan.</p>
<p>“I’ll just say this. My kids went to a private school that allowed it. I knew my daughter would never “earn” it, yet she was traumatized by OTHERS having it. I knew it would not “phase” my son. When he “earned” it, I chuckled and said “go for it.” (it was called a “swat”). They tried it once, and then resorted to praying. Not sure whether it was for them or him!”</p>
<p>^^^Funny? In the previously listed graph, corporal punishment is illegal in California. What does a child have to do to earn it?</p>
<p>I see Corporal Punishment is still legal in my state, though it is illegal in my city.</p>
<p>“Then I resorted to corporal punishment – a slap on the leg if the child refused to cooperate with wiping. It worked. I continued to do it for many months until the child was toilet trained and it was no longer necessary.”</p>
<p>"^^^Funny? In the previously listed graph, corporal punishment is illegal in California. What does a child have to do to earn it?"</p>
<p>^ it was a private “Christian” school…It was more than 10 years ago, and I don’t remember the details THAT day, but I’m sure it was one in a long litany of things. And you had to know my son.</p>
<p>I would guess that jail would be several orders of magnitude more traumatizing and psychologically damaging to youth than spanking. Why aren’t more people talking about ending the practice of putting minors in jail or other types of lock-up such as juvenile facilities, at least for non-felony offenses?</p>
<p>Corporal punishment is no different from any other criminal battery. When children are hit as a form of corporal punishment, they learn that when someone is angry (parent) it is ok for that person to hit. Parents who engage in corporal punishment are barbarians.</p>
<p>"…He said a prison officer stood beside him and guided him through the ordeal, saying: “O.K. Michael, three left. O.K., Michael, two left. O.K., one more; you’re almost done.”</p>
<p>The Government of Singapore has defended the punishment as a traditional part of the country’s legal system. The caning strained Singapore’s relations with the United States and has been seen as largely responsible for the United States’ voting against holding the first summit meeting of the World Trade Organization in Singapore next year.</p>
<p>After confessing to vandalism, Mr. Fay was sentenced to four months in jail and six strokes with a half-inch-thick rattan cane on two counts of vandalism and possession of stolen road signs. The sentence was later reduced to four strokes…"</p>
<p>To me this was the most appropriate punishment - the kid didn’t get a rich parent to pay a fine and get off. The government didn’t waste resources keeping him in jail. He was found guilty of behavior that is undesirable, and looking at Singapore, the medicine it metes out is far more effective than how we handle this in the US. It’s not done in anger or meted out by people who’re out of control - it’s strictly done as a job for someone to pay their due, and as a warning to others.</p>
<p>Many in this thread are so outraged that they would like it banned because they don’t like it, or maybe they are not confident of being in control of themselves while administering it, and don’t want anyone else to have this choice. </p>
<p>While I find the behavior of parents who don’t teach their kids to read or do math, and are drunk in front of them, and do little more than watch TV all evening far more egregious, I don’t believe it’s my business or society’s to ban this behavior. I’m pretty confident this category of parents do a lot more damage to their children causing them to leave HS without basic skills, but I guess it’s not politically incorrect.</p>
<p>In Singapore they don’t only beat kids, a 49 year old can be beaten for hiring illegal workers.</p>
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<p>Would you like that in the US? Hire a Mexican with no papers to paint your house - 6 whacks? Don’t file your tax return on time? A bit of aggressive driving? </p>
<p>I don’t see anyone here claiming such a punishment would be OK if done to themselves, today, for some relatively minor act. But beat kids, no problem.</p>
<p>As for Michael Fay, I bet the official was told to hit as lightly as possible within the bounds of credibility.</p>
<p>"Eh, nothing wrong with it. My dad gave me a slap once in a while and I turned out alright. </p>
<p>I suggest everyone google, Russell peters beat your kids. </p>
<p>Pretty funny, and true"</p>
<p>People hit children because it is easier than taking the time to interact and teach in a positive manner.</p>
<p>Imagine how you might be different if someone had taken the time to teach you appropriately.</p>
<p>I remember the Michael Fey incident. I suspect many hear second hand reports and/or read Internet interpretations.</p>
<p>At the time it was of major, international concern. Perhaps the media portrayed it differently than it was, BUT, NOBODY in the US was portraying it as something that was an acceptable form of punishment, as I remember it. Why are people attempting to justify it today?</p>
<p>Nobody should glamorize it today. Comparing physical abuse of children to not teaching them to read or write is comparing apples and oranges.</p>
I agree with this, to an extent–but I don’t agree that all corporal punshment can fairly be categorized as “beating,” “hitting,” or “whipping.” Those are loaded words. As NJSue pointed out in post 26, plenty of people have been spanked in this country by loving parents who were following customary practices. It’s kind of ignorant, really, to refer to this as “sadistic.” Personally, I think parents should be discouraged from using corporal punishment, simply because too many of them will not use it judiciously.</p>