How do you feel about spanking? Do you think it is right or wrong?

Question

I am doing a debate for school and I need to know what you guys think. Please let me know how you feel and be honest.

Answer 1

Spanking is always a failure. It lowers the iq, increases resentment, causes behavior to be hidden, not changed, and teaches children that people who love you can hurt you for your own good.

it's not necessary. children need clear rules, consistent feedback on their behavior, including being removed from situations when they don't act according to expectations.

i can't imagine how parents look into the trusting eyes of their children and whack them. the ones who wait until they aren't mad anymore are not only the weirdest in the whole bunch - they must really LIKE hitting - but they are also doing something totally illogical from a punishment point of view. punishment must swiftly follow an undesired behavior or the child's brain doesn't put them together and just thinks mom is a scary nut job.

Answer 2

Although I was spanked as a kid I was convinced in college that it was inappropriate. So I did not at first spank when I had my own kids. To make a long story short--in the course of being a Mom I changed my tune and decided my parents were not so dumb and old fashioned after all.

I know that anectodal stories are not very useful--but that is the major reason I spank--it works for me. I also think it is fairer and less mean than punishments like time outs and groundings. A spanking gets the punishment over and the air is cleared. The other things drag the thing out. I don't want to be a parental jailer. With younger kids I think the whole point of why they are being punsihed is lost. With older kids it is no more of an effective punishment and inspiration to strive for better behavior than jailing adults is.


I think if more parents would spank--and do it correctly--they would be very surprprised by the results they get.

I should also mention all the research that has been done on this subject showing it is bad. These are all statistically flawed. Infact to the surprise of one researchers who surveyed all the research--he found it to be the most effective method of getting children to comply with the wishes of their parents. (On my blog is an article called "Critique of Anti-spanking Research" that I think would be useful for your project. It is kind of buried and no longer highlighted--you need to browse through the old ones).

There is a reason parents have been spanking since time immemorial. The anti-spanking movement is very new. And like a lot of new untested ideas I am convinced it is wrong.

Answer 3

There is nothing wrong with spanking a child. I agree with everyone else that there is a difference between spanking and beatings. Some ppl can carry it too far. My children get a spanking only as a last resort. They are never beat, as I don't do it when angry. I let them know why they are being spanked and what they can do next time to avoid a spanking. So far, so good as they don't repeat that really bad offenses. Kids will be kids I know, but they need to be taught that all actions carry consequences. I was spanked as a child and I feel that it is what has shaped me today. My kids are shown lots of love and praised for good behavior and such. They know by "the look" when they are pushing things too far now and they stop really bad behavior before it gets out of hand. I don't think it's a bad thing when used in the correct manner.

Answer 4

I believe that spanking is ok. Hitting is NOT ok.

When I spanked my kids I gave them a little spank on the hand. not hard, but enough so that they knew they needed to pay attention to me.

When my kids got spanked on the bottom. I would tell them, "I am going to spank you now" Then I gave their butts a spank.
I made sure that I was supporting their bodies so that the spank wouldn't have a whip lash effect.

I believe the reason that spanking became such a negative thing was that some people beat their kids. Some use a belt which is very dangerous to the kids.

I think that anyone who hits their kids or belts them is wrong and it is child abuse. Even spanking in anger and spanking too hard and too often, it is not punishment it is torture.

Answer 5

I have three daughters and I believe in spanking. They dont' get spanked often by any means, but they know it'll happen if they push things too far. All this crap about breeding violence is just that. My daughters are very loving and caring kids. My brothers and I were spanked growing up, perhaps a little excessively at times, but we all turned out to be respectful successful adults. I think it's all in how you do it. I never spank my children when I'm mad, I don't believe it right and when you do that you can lose control, I have never left a bruise on any of kids nor do I intend too. I believe it is an effect form of discipline when used correctly.

Answer 6

I dont think spanking is bad. This should be used only if the other ways of discipline have not worked and they continue to act up. There is a fine line on this and abuse. I was spanked when I was a kid and I am sure needed it. Just as long as it is on the butt, no other places.

Answer 7

Spanking is not only NOT a bad thing to do, sometimes it is the best option. That doesn't mean it should always be the first option. Those parents who spank as a first option for discipline are being lazy.

The first option is to explain to the child what the bad behavior is, why that particular behavior is bad, and why it shouldn't be repeated. However, trying to explain something like that to a three year old that grabs candy of the shelf of a store you are shopping at isn't really feasible. Yet, that behavior absolutely has to stop, doesn't it? Or how about when a child does something that exposes him to immediate and great danger? If that child doesn't respond to verbal correction immediately, a spanking is totally justified.

Like any punishment, spanking loses its effectiveness if it is overused. But even worse than actuall spanking a child is threatening to spank a child and not following through with it if the bad behavior continues. Same goes for any other form of punishment. If a child knows from experience that his or her parents will soon forget about a threatened punishment or change their minds about administering it, the threat quickly loses its teeth.

On the other hand, a child that knows that a threatened punishment WILL be delivered and that only ONE warning will be given, not repeated, that parent will rarely have to resort to using that punishment.

I got spanked when I was a kid. So did my brother and sisters. We all realized, even then, that it isn't OK to hit. Some anti-spanking people claim that spanking teaches a kid to respond with anger and violence. That is BS. Most kids in my generation got there fair share of whuppins. Most of us turn out OK. Some of the kids I grew up with never felt the sting of a paddle on their backside, and it shows. They have zero respect for authority, hate being told what to do, have very little if any self control, and seem to think the world owes them something.

Some people offer various reasons for why our children are getting out of control. My feeling is that it is mostly overly-permissive parents that have the Dr Spock mentality.

Kids always walk the line, often barely crossing it. Set a limit for a kid, and the kid will never stray far from it. If the limits aren't clear, then punishments become arbitrary, inconsistent, and, thus, ineffective.

I was a BRAT when I was a kid. My parents were the permissive type, and let me get away with a lot of crap that no kid of mine will ever be able to pull off and still be able to sit down comfortably. But still, I knew that there were certain things that would assuredly get me a blistered behind for. Guess what; My parents only had to correct me once for those things.

I watched a Dr Spock guru on a TV talk show once. A lady in the audience said she tries to give her kid time-outs, but he refuses to stay where he is supposed to be. The kind doctor advised her to take him by the hand and lead him back to the time out area each time the child leaves it, and each time to explain to the child why he is being given time out, and to add a few minutes to the time out for each time he leaves the area. That could go on for WEEKS with some kids.

It's BS. If I give a kid time out, he's getting off easy. He'd BETTER get his nose in that corner, or there will be hell to pay.

Answer 8

Spanking is right, as long as your in control. If a spanking is done right, there can be no better way to correct bad behavior.

Answer 9

I believe that spanking is not wrong at all. There is a difference between spanking a child and beating a child. There are other alternatives such as making your child attempt to do push ups. It is very affective. I don't know what it is but they dread doing them.

Answer 10

Spanking is okay. Beating your child is not. I use spanking to get my childrens attention for offenses that may cause harm or injury. And, mostly now they are never spanked because the older they get the more they think before they act. They don't want the punishment that may come from the mis-behavior or dangerous stunt. Sometimes the fear of MOM does wonders to keep them safe.