To Spank or Not To Spank
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A new study has found that children who have been spanked by their parents as children grow up to be happier and healthier adults. According to a report on Foxnews.com:
Children spanked up to the age of 6 were likely as teenagers to perform better at school and were more likely to carry out volunteer work and to want to go to college than their peers who had never been physically disciplined.
But children who continued to be spanked into adolescence showed clear behavioral problems.
Children’s groups and lawmakers in the UK have tried several times to have physical chastisement by parents outlawed, the Times of London reported. They claim it is a form of abuse that causes long-term harm to children and say banning it would send a clear signal that violence is unacceptable.
However, Marjorie Gunnoe, professor of psychology at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, said her study showed there was insufficient evidence to deny parents the freedom to choose how they discipline their children.
“The claims made for not spanking children fail to hold up. They are not consistent with the data,” said Gunnoe. “I think of spanking as a dangerous tool, but there are times when there is a job big enough for a dangerous tool. You just don’t use it for all your jobs.”
Wait? Didn’t we just read a study LAST YEAR that found spanking was BAD for our children?
Which one do you believe? Are all these studies garbage?
Great backyard summer treat for the kids. Frozen fruit pops on a stick. 
Comment by Pamela on Jan 07 2010 09:17:29:
It’s so different for all kids! For some, a stern warning will make kids burst into tears. Others, only the spanking is that stern warning. There are some kids who you can tell, already have so much internal capacity for guilt/shame that spanking them when they already know they did wrong could really be devastating emotionally. But for others, who might be more prone to rough-housing when playing, for example, I sense that a light spanking might be little more than a nuisance? Am I crazy to think this?
Comment by Jamie on Jan 07 2010 09:39:27:
I disagree with spanking overall. While I was not spanked, my husband was and vehemently agrees that we will not spank our children. We are teaching our family, and observe the belief, that violence begets violence. What are we teaching our children if we physically hit them when they make a transgression? How do we expect their young minds to comprehend the connection between their action/behavior and the spanking, especially if there is a delay between the action and punishment or if the spanking is done by another adult? How hard is TOO hard to spank your child? The risk of physical, psychological or emotional harm is too great for me to endorse this as a disciplinary method for my children. There are SO many other ways for us to ensure our children are well prepared to excel in school and in their careers and lives.
Comment by Susan on Jan 07 2010 10:21:55:
I just don’t see why anyone cares whether I spank my children or not. It is like any other form of parenting, what works for one family might not work for another. I think studies are ridiculous and I don’t tend to believe in them because eventually another study pops up to contradict the first one. I think you would drive yourself…and your kids…crazy trying to keep up with them.
I think people need to just concentrate on raising their families in the way they feel is best and leave everyone else to their own parenting.
Comment by MsJackie on Jan 07 2010 11:29:48:
Finally! I know spanking is not for everyone but all kids are different. I’ve seen all too many times the ‘non-spanked’ kids throwing their tantrums in public and HITTING their helpless parents. Shame on you for not teaching your children respect… Some adults they’ll turn out to be. IMO
Comment by Sandra on Jan 08 2010 12:19:55:
I personally don’t spank my child but I was spanked as a child myself and I would like to think that I’ve turned out okay so this has no bearing in my decision to not spank my daughter. In my family both my sister and my brother spank their children and I respect their parenting choices. My preference is based on the logic that if I hit her every time she does something I don’t approve of, she will learn to do the same to others instead of learning to talk things through. Again, this is my personal opinion and I don’t believe that any parent should have another’s parenting philosophy imposed on them.
Comment by MsJackie on Jan 08 2010 01:00:42:
As a spanker let me clarify, spanking should not be used for every thing a child does wrong. Most importantly I’ve used spanking in dangerous situations, when my 2.5 year old was running toward a busy street. I needed her to know the extreme danger in her action and not soon forget it. A ‘talk’ or ‘time out’ would soon be forgotten by a small toddler in that case.
Comment by Sandra on Jan 08 2010 11:48:45:
When I wrote my first post I hadn’t exactly done much research into this new “study”. After looking at it in depth I have decided to ignore it until further proof is acquired about the research process employed to reach this conclusion. I think it’s best for us to read and research carefully before applying any parenting technique. I invite you to read this article. http://yesvote.org.nz/tag/marjorie-gunnoe/
Comment by PDeverit on Jan 10 2010 02:46:43:
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.
Comment by PDeverit on Jan 10 2010 02:47:21:
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 http://www.nospank.net.
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.
Comment by bperkins on Jan 13 2010 03:17:32:
The previous poster and others hold quite vehement non-spanking philosophies, and to some extent they have a point. However, as with most things in life, there is a sliding scale and everything comes down to the matter of degree, and rabid support of either extreme does not represent a healthy outlook. Where we can all agree is that a beating in wrong and that it crosses the “line”, but where is the line? it is not good enough to say no physical reprimand at all, because what does that allow for and what does that exclude? would I run afoul of the law when I swat my son on the bottom to move him along, it is no harder then a pat on the back one would give in a congratulatory situation and it causes no pain, but it is physical contact utilized in a disciplinary/behavioral modification situation. Would those that would outlaw “Child bottom-battering” also prohibit “child-wrist battering” when my 4 year old reaches for the hot stove? What is more, every child is different, and as a previous poster pointed out, what works for one my not work for another. These studies have no merit in the discussion over all because there is really no way to have an accurate control group.
Comment by barbara on Jan 31 2011 03:42:44:
Spare The Rod,Spoil the Child. Every child is different & every situation is different , but in general , I think ,theres nothing more effective than a good “whacking” right across the Tush !