am confused by all the hub-bub about giving a child a well-deserved spanking as a method of parental discipline. I gave my 7 year old one fat wallop to his buttocks for ignoring my and his father's command that he stop playing and go to sleep. The command was given at 10pm, 12 pm and finally at 3am! We waited til the morning to admister the wallop to the bottom. My neighbor accused us of child abuse and called the cops. Am I notteaching the child to respect and obey authority (like the police) by disciplining him? Whta's going on in this world?
Oh, the police officers the neighbor sent to enforce his particular values on us carried guns... but since they could not find a mark on the child, went away a bit disappointed that they could'nt make an arrest. This has outraged me.
2006-10-02 11:47:42 · 20 answers · asked by Phoebhart 6 in Social Science ➔ Sociology
It sounds like you care for your child, and are not abusive. Children need guidelines. Abuse would be hitting your child out of anger when he refused to listen to you. I think your neightbors needed to be spanked more as children.
2006-10-02 12:34:49 · answer #1 · answered by hvjhv 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I don't blame you. You should be outraged! Go tell your neighbors that I said they're ignorant and IF they have children they're going to grow up to be rapists, murderers or robbers because they won't know how to respect authority and they won't understand discipline. There is nothing wrong with smacking your kid on the butt (depending on the age of course). However, anything more than that should be considered child abuse. I'd personally rather spank a kid on the butt than ridicule and insult a child the way I've seen some parents do.
2006-10-02 11:53:11 · answer #2 · answered by Writer of Truth 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
a spanking should get the child's attention, not leave a lasting bruise or marks ( a red spot is to be expected for a short time immediately following the spanking) A bruise or lasting mark can be determined to be child abuse. I do not think that spanking the child is wrong and I spank mine and have no issue with that. If the neighbor is close enough to be privy to this then maybe they wouldn't appreciate a no trespass warning. I am not sure how a neighbor heard of or heard the spanking,. perhaps you live in an appt. building.
2006-10-02 13:37:35 · answer #3 · answered by NolaDawn 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I am sick and tired of the panty-waist people walking around, placing their children on pedestals.
Adults have children because they CAN, not because they SHOULD. These people should learn to discipline their evil little imp, and not be condemned for it.
Children nowadays are WAY out of line. They sass back, fail school, and run the streets. Why? Because of people like your neighbors. Smugly tell them that the police did nothing because you did nothing WRONG.
Open handed swats that DO NOT leave marks are sorely needed in this country. On the tush, and nowhere else. Children need to remember discipline and respect, and while physical violence is generally not ever the answer, it gives kids a "start", and brings them back to their place in life...UNDER the hands of their parents, and NOT above the law.
PERIOD.
2006-10-02 12:00:07 · answer #4 · answered by rouschkateer 5 · 3⤊ 0⤋
While I am not personally a big fan of spanking as discipline, I would never consider an open-handed spanking (or even several of them) child abuse. That's just absurd.
In addition to feeling outraged for yourself, I think you might, as I do, feel outraged for the thousands of children who truly ARE being physically abused every day, who aren't being helped because law enforcement is wasting its resources pacifying nosy, paranoid outsiders who think they know everything.
2006-10-02 12:09:51 · answer #5 · answered by LisaT 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, that's not child abuse. I was spanked as a kid and sometimes that was the only way to teach me. I always knew my parents loved me. It's people that use other items to hit that should be reported. Stuff like belts, wooden spoons, paddles, those items can really hurt a child. No kid can do anything so bad that they deserve to be hit so hard that a mark is left.
2006-10-02 11:56:29 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Striking a person smaller than yourself is cowardly and bullying. It only teaches violence as a solution for conflict.
There are other ways you can discipline a child, withdrawal of privileges, no TV, cut pocket money, without always resorting to violence.
The fact that the majority of answers favored spanking only goes to show why the USA is such a violent country.
2006-10-02 13:16:30 · answer #7 · answered by The Gadfly 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
becareful, many people, unfortunatly at places like the police and child protective custody/services and family counselors---tend to look at normal discipline (spanking the child) as abuse.
Your patience is good, and yes you are teaching your child discipline and respect. Good communication works well in this along the way.
I believe you did the right thing, yet unfortunately have to suffer from do-gooder busy-bodies.
2006-10-02 11:53:11 · answer #8 · answered by megettingbetter 2 · 4⤊ 0⤋
In most states popping a childs rearend with an open hand is not considered child abuse. Oh and FYI cops usually carry guns.
2006-10-02 11:53:05 · answer #9 · answered by snoop_dougie_doug04 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
How did your neighbor find out you swatted your son, did he witness it?
If you just popped him once on the buns, I doubt he is going to be psychologically traumatized--and it was foolish of the police to waist their time like that! However, I would have popped his bottom when he was misbehaving, not in the morning after the fact.
2006-10-02 11:53:23 · answer #10 · answered by ? 4 · 4⤊ 0⤋