Criminalizing Spanking

When raising my kids (below), I do fine without corporeal punishment, and without threatening corporeal punishment. But exceptions have occurred. I've spanked my seven-year-old twice in her life (and my youngest, 4, never...so far). The last time happened about three years ago, after the oldest threw a cup of milk at me during a nasty tantrum.

I note that, since firmly swatting her bottom on that occasion, I've not been doused in dairy again.

In England, the punishment I meted out might have meant jail time for me, or maybe a decade of probation. This British mother only threatened to spank her out-of-control kids, and the consequences were unpleasant, to say the least:

[A] 34-year-old mother, the trainee manager of a Christian bookshop, ... was quizzed by police after threatening to smack her children, a boy of 11 and a four-year-old girl, when they started rampaging round her local supermarket in Southampton. Later, she received an official letter from the council's children's services department, warning her that her "chastisement" of them had been "put on record" for at least the next 14 years.

Anyway, thought I'd share my own (ahem) history of violence, only because I'd hate to see spanking become a subject that can no longer be discussed in polite company except when voicing mandatory disapproval. Sure, habitually hitting and beating children is likely to create monsters. But there are also kids — legions of them, I bet — who will turn into monsters if they never receive a few slaps on the behind, or threats thereof.

From where I sit, spanking is a useful tool in a parent's repertoire. It's kinda like owning a sump pump for the basement: it may only come in handy once or twice, and you hope to never have to use it, but it's nice to have it at your disposal.

Comments

[Marty]

talk to any DFS worker about how divorced parents manipulate the govt to punish each other for 'abusing' the kids...

I'd be willing to bet this woman's being gamed by someone who doesn't like her- an ex-husband, boyfriend, or one of their ex's.

[Phelps]

My brother and I took spankings about once a week. Quite frankly, we would both likely be criminals at this point without them. Girls may be different, but I honestly don't see how my brother and I could have been properly raised without them. We were already violent.

[GreginOz]

I purely despise these PC, leftleaning, B/Arts, anti discipline (& anti male)spinster dreamers! REEEETCCCHHHH. Why are kids so ill disciplined today? I've caught a young teen breaking into my car & beaten the crap out of him. A thief is a thief. I guess I've become a beginner Grumpy Old Man. When my Gen was at school one got "six of the best" across the tips of the fingers with a bamboo cane for infractions, Dad only gave me two hidings as a kid but, believe me, I deserved them. Metered, controlled pavlovian conditioning works on kids because we r little animals until we understand cause and effect. Note I have also threatened assault on young pricks who won't give up a bus/train seat, to an old lady etc. People have actually thanked me. Viva la violencia a los ninyos (sic).

[Derek]

My brother and I were both spanked as children. Not that often, mind you - I think I can count the number of times on one hand and most likely still have fingers left over. But the point is, I think I've turned out as a fairly well-adjusted person, and I learned one of life's most important rules: Actions have consequences.

[Don]

Would you hit your boss or a client?
Then why a child?
Make no mistake, hitting anyone is an act of violence and is never necessary.

In no way do I condone the state interceding against individuals.

I hit my son once, when he was 4, 26 years ago, because he angered me. I bought him a metal cap gun, he fired it, it scared him, he threw it and broke the TV.

I have always regretted hitting him.
(My son doesn't remember this happening as I have asked him about it)

Like Roget's incident, my son never threw the cap gun at the TV again.

We both, my son and I, learned something that day.

[Mark.V.]

There is a difference in meaning between corporeal and corporal.

[marc J. Randazza]

Don,

mailto:armani4869@yahoo.com

That's a plain foolish analogy.

With a boss, you have other ways to correct their behavior -- and if all else fails, you quit and get a new boss. With a client, same thing. If a client of mine is an asshole, I raise their rates. If they don't like it, they can find another lawyer.

On the other hand, what leverage do you have over the behavior of a 7 year old?

Naturally, corporal punishment should not be doled out lightly. But, you do the *child* a disservice if you avoid it altogether. There are enough overprivileged, whiny dipshit kids with no sense of boundaries. Unless your kid has some magical ability to draw his or her own boundaries, a bit of whup ass belongs in every parent's repertoire of child rearing tools.

[Urban Country Girl]

I live in a town full of left-leaning, PC, dipshit, do-nothing, wimpy parents. We have a rash of teenagers who have been vandalizing cars, cable boxes and kid's playgrounds and no one will do anything about it. They have never been given boundaries and have such a sense of entitlement, it blows my mind.

These kids could use a good ass-kicking. So could their parents.