Yet another "study" by a long-time anti-spanking researcher has been released by an
anti-spanking advocacy group. Not surprisingly, the study is
anti-spanking. Ironically, though, the research did not focus on
spanking at all, but on "physical punishment." The study explicitly
lumps together words like "spank," "slap," "beat," "punch," and "whip,"
treating them as if they are all the same thing.
There is a huge
difference between the ordinary disciplinary spanking practiced by most
parents and all these other forms of "physical punishment," which can
more easily be abusive. Defining the issue this way makes the study
useless for identifying the actual impact of "spanking" as such.
The
key both to the effectiveness of parental discipline (including
spanking) and its effect on the child (whether positive or negative)
lies in how the discipline is undertaken in its larger context, not
simply what disciplinary tool is used. Studies have actually shown that
a disciplinary style that balances firm control (including spanking)
with positive encouragement results in the best outcomes for children.
It's clear that the long-term goal of these anti-spanking zealots is a
legal ban on all spanking that would treat it as "assault" and a "human
rights violation." This is an intrusion into parental rights that
Americans should not tolerate.
Arizona Republic report on new study of "physical punishment"
"Spare the Rod? The Research Challenges Spanking Critics," by Den Trumbull, M.D. and S. DuBose Ravenel, M.D.
-------------------------
Is spanking an acceptable form of discipline? Click here to see our Opposing Views debate.
This may sound strange coming from a liberal socialist such as myself, but a good whack across the backside never did ME any damage, but it taught me how NOT to behave. Now, I'm not saying parents should hit their kids over every little thing, but a good, firm slap on the behind is way more effective that all the timeouts in the world. Kids are not fully developed mentally, and sometimes you have to resort to a training method that is DIRECT and INSTANT. Only then will they make the connection. After getting a mild slap on the backside or the side of the head, you can then say to the kid "Now why did Mommy/Daddy smack you?" Upon answering the question, the kid will learn. I see nothing wrong with this approach, but NOBODY SHOULD EVERY LEAVE WELTS OR USE A WEAPON in disclipling a child , and they should ALWAYS explain afterwards why the child got disciplined.
After you've come up with The Unified Theory of Hitting (the "right way" to do it), then perhaps you should enlighten these anti- spanking "zealots". I'm very interested in why you feel the need to safeguard this habit so badly. There are people who want to learn better parenting practices so badly that they are willing to have their family on "Supernanny" or "Dr. Phil". Why would anyone prefer hitting their kids over learning something different?
American Acadamy of Pediatrics
Straus,Murray Co-Director of the
Family Research Laboratory at the
University of New Hampshire
UNESCO
The United Nations (Convention on
the Rights of the Child)
Alvin Poussaint, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School.
National Organization for Women
Center for Effective Discipline
PsycHealth, Ltd.,
Behavioral Health Professionals
etc......................
The bottom line is that spanking teaches children that violence is an acceptable way to settle a disagreement. There are plenty of better ways to discipline a child than violence. Spanking a child proves you to be incredibly simple-minded and selfish. The point isn't to get your way and to get your child to stop their bad behaviour, it's to teach your child to be a better human being too.