Jail time or fine for spanking children under 3?????

Question

OMG....seriously.......OMFG.....idots are actually trying to pass this one through in California. The goverment is actually going to try to fine me for disciplining my child? Next they will make it mandatory to read books and say prayers at bedtime, Not that Im opposed to doing those things mind you, but who in the goverment has the right to tell me how to raise the children that I chose to birth and care for. Give me a BREAK anyone out there think its a good law?

Answer 1

I do agree that it's not government's place to step in unless abuse is taking place, but, I can see where they're coming from. A child under the age of three isn't likely to really understand the cause/effect relationship of naughty/spanking, so in a way, it could be seen as abuse to punish a child physically when they don't understand how. I seriously doubt the law would pass, since it's none of their business and they know it, and hopefully they would choose to educate instead of fine and take to court. There's no way to prosecute such a thing, anyways, unless everyone were to put security cameras in their house?! I have a rather physically agressive little boy and have chosen not to use physical punishment b/c I think it would only encourage more agressiveness. I think when spanking is done right it can occasionally be a useful tool, but creativity in assigning other punishments tends to work a lot better. Especially considering most people today (myself included) wouldn't use spanking appropriately. Spanking in anger in the spur of the moment doesn't serve as a punishment that a child hooks to a particular act. What should happen is when a child misbehaves, he should be warned a spanking is coming. It should always then be done in the same place in the same manner, an assigned number of whacks and should be followed with a talk and a hug from the parent to let them know they did something wrong, and have been punished and will be punished again if they do it again, but that they're still loved. Anyways, off topic, sorry, but no, not a good law, just because if they legislate that, what's next?

Answer 2

its a win win for the layers / plenty of business either way. Its a payday if you do and a payday and overcrowded prison system if you don't. the age issue seems valid on the spanking because they are very fragile at that age, but since every child is different and has different learning patterns or lack of, as long as your reasonable about it a parent should have the right to spank they re child. sometimes that is not the best answer, but it is a last resort. in a perfect world all we would not even be talking about this. Im not saying you should go beat your child, which I would never allow someone to do in front of me. I think that every child at one time or another would benefit greatly the rest of there lives if they had the opportunity to remember stinging red but cheeks from a good swat or two or the sting of a crack on the a ss with a belt. if you were spanked or visited by the belt occasionally when you deserved it you would remember it every time you thought about sassing off, being rude, cruel, mean or basically doing something you knew that you shouldn't. those of us that didn't listen, that did get mouthy or disobeyed our parents to a point that we earned an attitude adjustment if we are smart enough, we look back and thank our parents for applying fair and deserving discipline. maybe its time to get back to basics?
I think the law is good that it brings focus on a problem that maybe some dont realise and that is, just how fragile a child that age is. But on the other hand if my 3year old child runs into the street and would not listed and did it again, there would be a belt across a bare bottem once. you disapline a child because you love them and want them to be safe. there are many types of children and people and one size does not fit all. so question Is the law good? maybe it is to make a point to those that might get carried away. and that should be the only time it is enforced, when a parent is out of control and not just spanking a child but doing it to a but that qualifies as excessive and dangeruos to the child.

Answer 3

They can't be serious! Then they shouldn't worry about what the hell is going on in the Middle East, because they are trying to create our own little terrorist. A spanking never killed anyone and if it did they need to prove it! Abuse kills! If they throw the parent in jail for spanking and the child gets put into foster care, who's to say they are safer. Foster children are beaten, raped and killed. Then where do they go? Children can't defend themselves, but they can't take care of themselves either, which is why they have parents. DUH! If this law passes, I feel sorry for the children who "spanking" is the only form of discipline they get. Parents are going to feel powerless and just stop giving a F***! I'd let them stay out, drink,smoke, do drugs and kill as they see fit. I'm not trying to get in trouble.Those children will not have a concious and won't be afraid of any type of consequence.Then when the Goverment passes a law that says i have to care for them, then I will. You began to shape the childs behavior as soon as they are mobile. Waiting until they are older, when they have begun to establish the fact, that they may be boss is too hard! The citizens of Cali, should take all of their bad children to the capital and let the lawmakers raise them. I bet then there will be some spanking going on!

Answer 4

I don't think it is a good law because I don't want the government telling me how I should raise my children.

I think the idea is good, as they are trying to look out for the well being of a child who might not be able to understand why they are being spanked. There are other countries that have made spanking illegal and believe it or not their crime rates aren't high. I don't think it will pass because we are a country that takes pride in our freedom to chose how we want to live. Maybe doing more programs to teach alternate methods of discipline for parents who want to learn is a better way to go.

Answer 5

laws like this get passed because their are to many people who spank their children out of anger not just to swat a butt and tell the child no. Babies get spanked and I don't know why what could they have possibly done. Older kids get spanked because people dont know how to talk to their children so they are angry and just spank them. It is to protect the children. Most people who spank their childrem do so because they were spanked maybe this will help our kids from spanking as a first reaction when they have kids and start a new healthy way of raising kids.

Answer 6

Spanking isn't discipline.There is a a huge difference between spanking, yelling, criticizing, punishing,etc. and discipline.And you shouldn't spank(beat, hit, hurt) any person,especially a child.If you have problems with discipline or simply don't know what to do,don't spank but buy a book for parenting and learn something.And of course if you are a spanker,you shouldn't spank children under 3.A child under 3 won't understand why you hit him and just will get upset.And do you know why they make this rule for not hitting the child under 3?Here is why - HITTING MAY LEAD TO ABUSE
Punishment escalates. Once you begin punishing a child "a little bit," where do you stop? A toddler reaches for a forbidden glass. You tap the hand as a reminder not to touch. He reaches again, you swat the hand. After withdrawing his hand briefly, he once again grabs grandmother's valuable vase. You hit the hand harder. You've begun a game no one can win. The issue then becomes who's stronger—your child's will or your hand—not the problem of touching the vase. What do you do now? Hit harder and harder until the child's hand is so sore he can't possibly continue to "disobey?" The danger of beginning corporal punishment in the first place is that you may feel you have to bring out bigger guns: your hand becomes a fist, the switch becomes a belt, the folded newspaper becomes a wooden spoon, and now what began as seemingly innocent escalates into child abuse. Punishment sets the stage for child abuse. Parents who are programmed to punish set themselves up for punishing harder, mainly because they have not learned alternatives and click immediately into the punishment mode when their child misbehaves.
And something else - HITTING DOES NOT IMPROVE BEHAVIOR
Many times we have heard parents say, "The more we spank the more he misbehaves." Spanking makes a child's behavior worse, not better. Here's why. Remember the basis for promoting desirable behavior: The child who feels right acts right. Spanking undermines this principle. A child who is hit feels wrong inside and this shows up in his behavior. The more he misbehaves, the more he gets spanked and the worse he feels. The cycle continues. We want the child to know that he did wrong, and to feel remorse, but to still believe that he is a person who has value.
The Cycle of Misbehavior
Misbehavior Worse behavior Spanking Decreased self-esteem, anger
One of the goals of disciplinary action is to stop the misbehavior immediately, and spanking may do that. It is more important to create the conviction within the child that he doesn't want to repeat the misbehavior (i.e, internal rather than external control). One of the reasons for the ineffectiveness of spanking in creating internal controls is that during and immediately after the spanking, the child is so preoccupied with the perceived injustice of the physical punishment (or maybe the degree of it he's getting) that he "forgets" the reason for which he was spanked. Sitting down with him and talking after the spanking to be sure he's aware of what he did can be done just as well (if not better) without the spanking part. Alternatives to spanking can be much more thought-and-conscience-provoking for a child, but they may take more time and energy from the parent. This brings up a main reason why some parents lean toward spanking it's easier.

Answer 7

To ALL ignorant parents out there (there seems to be many)

Spanking is not the same as hitting
Parents who spank do not enjoy doing it
Parents who spank use other forms of discipline as well
Parents who spank do it to get their child's attention...not to hurt them.
Parents who DON'T spank are afraid to discipline their children or have perfect children. (I highly doubt the later)

Anyway, this law will never be passed.

I think they have more important things to worry about in CA.

Answer 8

Well I agree the fact that the government shouldn't have the right to oppose discipline since they run everything else in our lives but, I do not agree with spanking it's barbaric and I think we are far more civilized than that.....But I have to agree with you on that one it's just another way of the government getting a hold on citizens....thank god I live in a commonwealth

Answer 9

Well, I think that the law is absolutely ridiculous and will probably never pass. Also, I have yet to have children of my own but I've babysat my fair share of family member's children where I'd been given permission to spank them if the situation warranted it. And, trust me, at times it did! Sometimes, I believe that spanking a child (no matter the age) is a needed form of punishment. As long as you aren't beating the ever-loving crap out of them...I don't see a problem with it.

Answer 10

Do you have a link to the story? I agree with you. This will never pass. I have spanked all of my girls when they are under 3. This is the anti-spanking movement at it's finest. Start in the blue states and work you way to the red ones. I refuse to live in a state where spanking in any way is illegal.