Why is spanking such a big contraversy?

Question

I've noticed the amount of questions about spanking being asked (this is yet one more!). It seems like a huge contraversy. I don't think it should be. I think there is more than one way to raise children, and all different kinds of people have gone through all different kinds of discipline and most turn out fine. I don't think it's whether or not a parent spanks, but how they treat their kids. Sure, parents can spank abusively, but they can ground abusively too. The only solution to avoid any abuse is "no discipline" and I can count on one hand all the parents supporting that style. I spank my kids, I know people who do not, and I think we are both equally good parents.

Answer 1

I must admit I find the controversy of spanking very absurd.

I understand the point of view from each side, but seriously people, there are bigger issues in this world thank spanking kids.

In Massachusetts they're even considering the outlaw of spanking, which I think is the most useless thing EVER.

If you're a fiery advocate for raising your child without spanking that's fine, but implementing your beliefs on others is fighting the wrong battle.

When I went to elementary school I can remember a few kids that would come in with all sorts of bruises, burn marks, and even knife wounds on one particular boy (whose mother had about 8 kids and lived in a shoddy part of town). Yet, I would hear my mother talking to the other mothers and teachers about what to do with these children that they suspected were being abused.

The problem is, most children who are abused won't turn in their parents because they have been taught their whole lives that they are the ones in the wrong. So it's very hard to save kids in situations like that because another parent or teacher that makes an accusation without veritable proof could turn around and get sued very easily by the defensive parent of an abused child.

Anti-spanking legislation would brew all sorts of trouble. Out-of-line children who have been raised with time-outs and have no respect for their parents would rule the roost if they learned of this law. it would be so easy for kids to threaten their parent's by saying they will claim they had been spanked unless they get what they want.

I think it's horrible that we live in a world where kids are beaten to **** by their parents and we're all worried about something as simple as spanking.

I might add that when I was little I acted very badly in the grocery store once. After about two warnings my mother took me out to the parking lot and spanked me. From that point on all she had to do was warn me once and I never acted up again. Now I'm 18, I'm in the top ten percent of my class, and I am in the GT program. You could probably deduce I turned out fine.

I was rarely spanked, and it was very frightening sometimes. For about thirty minutes. But I'm certain that it would have been much scarier to watch my parents handcuffed and taken away to jail for spanking me.

I got over the spanking, but I would never be able to get over that.

Answer 2

See the first answer has it wrong there. Spanking is sometimes taken way out of proportion. A child could be hit once but the next time onwards the fear of the spank is more than enough to guide him/her the right way. I mean I was caned occasionally in boarding school but now I look back on in and think I could have done so much more worse had I not to be corrected when I should have been.
Im not supportive not against spanking. Its just the degree of spanking that some parents follow.A drunk parent hitting his child cannot be termed as spanking, its abusing in such case.
Spanking is a corrective measure used by a majority of parents around the world to guide their kids in the right direction!!!

Answer 3

There has been much research on it and since it is a controversy subject either a parent will support the concept or be completely against it. Why does a parent want to hurt a child physically. Usually they do not know what else to do. Parenting is difficult. I am against spanking but I don't think every one who does it wants to really harm their child. Although in reality I think it does. No one wants to be hit.

Answer 4

spanking is a big contraversy because some people don't know the difference between brute force, abuse, and a good old fashioned spanking.

my father obviously didn't think that breaking my arm and pounding my head against the wall was abusive.

Answer 5

Some people believe spanking is a bad form of punishment because it causes the child physical pain. I think spanking is okay as long as it's not leaving any marks, as long as an object is not being used, as long as it's not bare bottom(gross in my opinion), and as long as it's not for stupid and minor reasons. You're right, there are a lot of ways to discipline kids and many ways can be abusive.

Answer 6

I was beat with a belt frequently when I was little. My daughter got a periodic smack on the hand or a swat on the butt. I think the reason for controversy is the fine line between discipline & abuse.

Answer 7

The problem is with the non spanker extreamist that have their heads shoved so for up thair asss that they think they are the only people that know how to raise a child and think that we caveman spankers should be thrown to the lions right after the Christians.

I say raise your kid how you want, I will spank my kids because it worked very well on me.

Answer 8

I find nothing wrong with spanking and it does not always lead to abuse, there is a difference, but some people group it all together. As parent's we are expected to raise out children to be responsible adults, yet we are not supposed to spank them. With my children, I have one that spanking works and one it doesn't, so each case is different and it should be up to each parent how they decide to discipline their kids. Parents generally do what is best for their kids, of course there will always be people who take it to the extreme, but I don't think saying it is "BAD" to do is going to deter those people at all.

Answer 9

Thumbs up for you, Lisa. I agree with everything you say. Spanking seems to be an American obsession - in other countries, it's either not done (or not talked about) or done as a routine punishment (and not talked about).

Answer 10

Because It is considered child endangerment. Few people can take that very far(Images have been shown that oppose spanking of abusive parents) If you outlaw Corperal punishment, it in turn makes beating your kids illegal. making the punishment more harsh on child abusers.