What do you think about smacking children as a form of discipline?

Question

I'm doing a study on this topic for a college assignment and would like people's views on this subject.

Answer 1

If it's on the bottom, like spanking then I'm all for it. If it's on the face then I have to say no.♥

Answer 2

Unacceptable....Discipline does not require smacking. Discipline is given by caring, attentive parents. Smacking is given by lazy parents. Never smacked...
Think about this....most abuse happens in the home. If you smack, how hard is OK, how often, for what reason? By smacking you teach children that you can get your own way if you're the strongest. It shows that problems can be solved with violence. Is that what we want to teach our children?
If you go out, and hit an adult, you would get arrested and charged with assault? So it's not OK to hit an adult but it is OK to hit a child?
I've always treated my daughter with respect, I've always talked to her and explained my decisions. This has had some remarkable effects. She's now a wonderful teenager, doing very well at school and she is respectful of others and her environment! Discipline and smacking are two very different things. I'm sorry for repeating myself, but I am amazed that to this day, with all the knowledge we have, all the information at our disposal, some people still think that smacking is OK!!!!!.

Answer 3

unnecessary and cruel, I wouldn't smack an adult for doing something wrong! so why do people physically injure small defenceless children? I have never smacked my two year old and he is a healthy happy and well disciplined child I just chose not to abuse my baby out of anger when he did wrong. If people don't have the patience to parent their children properly without violence then they shouldn't be parents. watch all the thumbs down!!! I don't care I know I am right. Kids who are smacked learn to smack other kids, they then receive a smack for smacking! vicious ridiculous cycle!! If smacking worked why do you have to continue smacking on a regular basis? I started a naughty chair when my boy was two I used it a lot in the first two weeks and over the past six months he has given me cause to use it a whopping 6 times!! 6 times in 6 months isn't bad for a toddler is it? so no one will ever convince me that smacking is best for my child or any child, we are grown ups we should all act like it and teach our children that violence is unacceptable in any form.

Answer 4

I have never and would never smack my daughter. She is two years old, and don't get wrong at times I could quite easily, but I am the adult and smacking her would only teach her that violence is ok. I have plenty of other ways to discipline her, the favourite being the naughty step. I have on occassions tapped her hand when she has been extremely naughty, the crayoning on the wall stage, but that's as far as I have and would ever go. I have seen some parents hitting their children around the head in the supermarket for being a bit rowdy. Or giving them a good smack on the legs for talking while their parents are having a conversation. There is no excuse for smacking children it only promotes violence.

Answer 5

I was smacked as a child and have grown up as a very level headed person with strong morals and views. I feel that smacking is not the only way to disapline a child but if the child is being violent then they need to learn that it hurts to hit people etc and I feel telling a child this doesnt get through as they dont understand the concept. (when I say smack I dont mean hard enough to leave a mark, just enough for a shock) Myself and my brother were smacked as children and I feel it was the best way for us to be disaplined (at the time I didnt) and we have never been in trouble and have nothing but respect for our parents. However, our younger brothers and sisters were not smacked and they will answer back to their mother and refuse to do anything they are told. (Other methods of disaplining have been tried with no avail ) I do give them a smack if they are doing this in my presance and they dont dare do it to me. I feel this proves smacking works. (Im 24, my brother is 22 and they are 11, 10, 6, 4 and 3.) The rule about smacking needs to be clearer as it can be abused by people being overly harsh. Also parents are to scared to smack now days because they are afraid of there children being taken away if the child tells anyone that they got smacked, even if it was lightly. generations before us were smacked and its never been so frowned upon as it is now, however our youth are the worst there has been for a very long time. makes you wonder why does'nt it?

Answer 6

I don't smack my children however the other day my 3 year old son ran in to a busy road i got scared and smacked him I felt so guilty as it was my fault for not putting his rains on. Children learn from us and on what we do.Some of my Friends say they smack when they are pushed to far but surly that is teaching the children to hit out when they get angry. So no i do not agree with smacking an i know for a fact i will never smack my children again.

Answer 7

A much heated debate went on in parliament, A little discipline is what some may need, I got smacked for being naughty and most likely deserved it too its done me no harm, part from a red bottom. Can`t say that any1 in Government has the right to say we can`t discipline those who need it....

Answer 8

Nothing wrong with it if it`s done at the time the child does something wrong. You can`t however `wait until you get home` then smack. The only place to smack is on the bottom or legs. I used to have a slipper hanging up for my 2 kids, but I only used it a couple of times on my daughter `cos she was a stubborn little mare at times. From then on she always stopped short of pushing me too far because she knew if I said I`d use it, she knew that I would. It`s called positive discipline. All this fannying about denying privileges, stopping pocket money, taking computers away as a punishment only makes the child have tantrums, and causes stress, and then the parent gives in. So what kind of message does that send? Smacking doesn`t do them any harm as long as it`s explained why they`ve been smacked.

Answer 9

It is violence. Full Stop. Talking of full stops - see the NSPCC's website and find out what the charity thinks of 'smacking'. Hopefully it will be banned in UK soon as it is in Sweden. The one single thing any parent can do before having a child is to read, read and read. Educate yourselves with regard to how children learn and develop. This will, undoubtedly, convey the damage caused by physically hurting children.
No doubt I will get lots of thumbs down for this answer from parents that have hurt/still hurt their children and need to justify their actions. So be it.
www.nspcc.org.uk. Good luck with your studies.

Answer 10

No way defiantly not!!!!!! I was never smacked and would never smack my children. There are other forms of discipline that are more effective. If you smack a children all it is doing is telling them it is acceptable to do so to others.

As adults we do not like to get smacked it is scary and that is twice as bad for a child. Who is smaller and we are much stronger than a child so the pain would be allot worse.

NO WAY

Answer 11

Here's my observation. The majority of children I see today have absolutely no respect for anyone and are so bad-behaved it's craz Now, I'm not talking about every kid I see, I'm only saying the majority of children that I have seen around. I don't think parents are doing anything to discipline kids these days. It's like their kids walk all over them. I don't entirely agree with smacking kids. There's no point in smacking them if you're not informing them that what they did was unacceptable. My mother smacked my on the bum once and she only needed to do it once. She sat me down, told me why she was doing it and why my behaviour was unacceptable. It was pretty rough at the time, as you would imagine, but I respected her. I think though, that parents should find alternate methods of discipline that are effective. Smacking (which would be a light smack on the bottom or something) should only be used as a very last resort.