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definitions

Corporal punishment: physical punishment, such as spanking or a slap on the wrist, inflicted on a child by an adult in authority.

Spanking: To slap on the buttocks with a flat object or with the open hand, as for punishment.

Debate

The purpose of this thread is to discuss the use of corporal punishment at home. Generally there are three seperate views on this issue.

Those against spanking a child believe:
- that it can lead to agression in the child, they also believe that it teached children at young age that violence is the answer.
-They also point out that treating an adult the same way is illegal, and it is not any more moral to spank a child than it is an adult.
-They also view it as an innefective punishment, as it is temporary.
-And they feel that it creates a lack of trust between child and parent

Those in favor Feel:
-parents have the right to raise children as they will
-feel that spanking is temporary and does not cause physciological harm, whereas a struggle for power between child and parent can.
-Point out there is no solid evidence linking corporal punishment with overly aggresive behaviour in children
-Feel the recent decrease in corporal punishment has lead to an increase of behaviour problems

Those in favor of a minimal use of spanking feel:
-Some believe it should only be used if the child does something particularly dangerous
-Children have different temperments, and it is only effective for some children
-It is not abusive, but should only be used if all other forms of punishment are not as effective for the situation
-The form of punishment used should depend on the situation

Please discuss
-Is it an effective form of punishment?
-Which view point is the most correct?
-(for those who are pro or minimal) at what age should it stop?
-Can corporal punishment cause long term physciological problems?

Please remeber to obey all rules, and to support your arguements 4laugh

P.S (This is aimed at crew members, all you regular people ignore this) If my OP is missing anything, or is not satisfactory, please inform me so I can make any neccesary changes.

Sources: exclaim
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanking#Controversy
http://www.google.com/Top/Society/Issues/Children,_Youth_and_Family/Corporal_Punishment/
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/spanking
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/corporal punishment

Hitting the child should be a last resort if punishment like grounding the child does not work mabey a smack or two will set the child straight

I dont think i need to justify my answer if the child keeps on doing the same bad things over and over and the child doesnt care about being punished the only other way is too hit the child then the child will be too scared to do anything bad

Alright take it easy I just dont feel like typing alot today dont worry ill post more than two sentences tommorow

Please do, Raven. I would love to hear why you feel it is harmful too spank a child to often, and when you deem it appropriate to spank a child. In fact, I would be thrilled to get as many different opinions on this matter as possible. 3nodding

And Shoyou, thank you for your wonderful reply. One thing though, I am curious: at what age do you feel corporal punishment should be stopped? To what severity is spanking appropriate; open hand, ruler, what? And when do you think that corporal punishment is appropriate over something like grounding, or do you feel its up to the parents to decide?

ohh... someone voted no. I would love to hear your view point, seeing as to how everyone who has posted so far is at least partially in favor of it. (including me)

To actually add something to the thread (so Shoyou Kaze doesn't bite my head off for only posting one sentence stare blaugh )

Personally, I probably fall under the "minimal" category. My parents never spanked me or my brothers and sisters, and that worked for us. However, I know some parents who make me think "just spank them all ready, that'll wake em' up"

On the other hand, I do feel that it is better to use a non physical punishment when ever possible. If you spank your child too often, or for silly reasons, a child may be less likely to come to you if they are in trouble. Yes, the parent is the boss, but their should be a level of trust and even respect for the child.

To me, it seems ideal to use spankings only on the occasion. An method of discipline is most effective when its used rarely. Lets say your toddler manages to escape out of the house and runs across the street, worried, you run after him/her. You managed to catch her. You COULD explain why its bad "you could get hit" and give her a time out. Problem is, that punishment is no more severe than if her where to pull his sisters hair, or if he threw his vegetables. In his/her mind, there needs to be a distinction, something that lets him know "I did something worse than pulling hair". A slap on the wrist sends that message. It also allows him to associate running across the road with pain.

Sometimes children can also get very unruly and out of control. Sometimes they will throw unusually bad temper tantrums, and a slap on the butt or the wrist may be the only way to get them to stop.

Imagine, you're in the supper market and your child wants to get the new spider man action figure, you say no though. For whatever reason, he has been praticularily fiesty that day, and suddenly he starts to throw a fit. Screaming and yelling and kicking, and knocking cereal off the shelf. You threaten him with time out, doesn't work, you threaten to take away his leftover piece of birthday cake, doesn't work, you threaten to take his "The Hulk' action figure, doesn't work. Frustrated, you attempt to pick him up (which isn't fun with his little fist flailing) so you give his butt a firm smack. Startled, he stops his screaming.

In the above circumstances (and others like them) corporal punishment can be an effective (or even the most effective) tools for discipline. In my experience, however, I do find that the more it is used, the less effective it is when used.

In conclusion, corporal punishment can be an effective part of raising some children. However, it is important to be aware that it is not the best means for all children, and using it to much will lower it effecieny. It is also important to govern yourself so that you do not hurt them severly or leave a mark.

No! you discovered my one true weakness! Curses, while no motorcycle of metal pole is a match for my thick skull, a katana is to me as a wooden stake is to a vampire. (analogies for the win)

Which is why should be careful you don't hurt them too severly, and you should never strike a child in rage. Besides which, it is just as easily to scar (or at least alienate) your child through other punishments like time-outs or yelling as it is to scar them through a spanking. I myself have never been close, nor truly liked my father for this reason. Call me shallow, but memories of him pinning me to the wall and yelling in my face(and emmiting lots of spit) don't give me warm fuzzy feelings.

au, contraire, I find that it does. Or, in the very least, their is a difference between the effectiveness when someone uses it often versus very rarely. If a a child parent hardly ever spanks them, and in the middle of a tantrum, they do get spanked, they are going to be more startled into obedience than a child who is used to it, who, because they are prepared for the punishment, just like they are prepared to lose their leftover slice of birthday cake, may not care. If I was 8 again, and being a particularily bratty, and my mom (who hardly ever spanked me) gave me a good *slap*, I would take more notice and think about it, more than I would if she sent me to my room (which to me, was worse than a spanking) simply because what she did was unusual and a different form of punishment.

I am still hoping someone who thinks "no" will post, simply for the diversity