Poll: If you were spanked as a child, do you think it made you a better person?

[kinapuffar]

Children are dumb, they don't understand when they do something wrong and thus punishing them will only make them resent you. They won't learn anything.
Explaining to them why they were wrong, and maybe they wont repeat the mistake.

No, spanking doesn't make anyone a better person. It might even make them worse.
That's not saying people who have been spanked turn out bad, it's just saying without the spanking, they'd have turned out better.

 

[AndyFromMonday]

It's not about beating children at all. You're sounding more and more like a troll with every post.

Are you hitting them repeatedly? Yes, you are. Therefore, you are beating them. There's no going around this. Just because you want to discipline your child using this method does not take away from the fact that you're still beating them. Spanking is still beating your child. Maybe a lesser beating but it's still, fundamentally a beating. You cannot go around this.

 

[PDeverit]

Only suitable for minors?:

Schoolchildrens' "spanking" related injuries (WARNING - These images may be deeply disturbing to some viewers. Do not open this page if children are present).
http://www.nospank.net/injuredkids.pdf

Reasonable and moderate? You decide.
(WARNING - This sound recording may be deeply disturbing to some listeners. Do not open this file if children are within listening range).
http://nospank.net/prj-006.wav



Recommended by professionals:

Plain Talk About Spanking
by Jordan Riak
http://www.nospank.net/pt2010.pdf

The Sexual Dangers of Spanking Children
by Tom Johnson
http://nospank.net/sdsc2.pdf

NO VITAL ORGANS THERE, So They Say
by Lesli Taylor MD and Adah Maurer PhD
http://nospank.net/taylor.htm



Most current research:

Spanking Kids Increases Risk of Sexual Problems
http://www.unh.edu/news/cj_nr/2008/feb/lw28spanking.cfm

Use of Spanking for 3-Year-Old Children and Associated Intimate Partner Aggression or Violence
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/126/3/415

Spanking Can Make Children More Aggressive Later
http://tulane.edu/news/releases/pr_03122010.cfm

Spanking Children Can Lower IQ
http://www.unh.edu/news/cj_nr/2009/sept/lw25straus.cfm

Just a handful of those helping to raise awareness of why child "spanking" isn't a good idea:

American Academy of Pediatrics,
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry,
American Psychological Association,
Center For Effective Discipline,
Churches' Network For Non-Violence,
United Methodist Church
Nobel Peace Prize recipient Archbishop Desmond Tutu,
Parenting In Jesus' Footsteps,
Global Initiative To End All Corporal Punishment of Children,
United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child.

In 31 nations, child corporal punishment is prohibited by law (with more in process). In fact, the US was the only UN member that did not ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The US also has the highest incarceration rate in the world.

The US states with the highest crime rates and the poorest academic performance are also the ones with the highest rates of child corporal punishment.

There is simply no evidence to suggest that child bottom-battering instills virtue.

 

[Bobbovski]

snip

A good and informative post! Good job.

 

[Twilight_guy]

Yes. My parents disciplined me and I think it made me a better person. I support whatever (non-excessive) means are necessary to discipline children.

 

[Asuka Soryu]

Well, from my spankings I started to become a silent, anti-social distrusting person who hated my father.

I don't support spanking. Violence is so neadertholic.

To get a point across using viloence seems like your parenting skills are shoddy so you need to rely on physical harm to handle it, as you're just not intelligent to handle it.

 

[Kortney]

Hard to say. I was more than "spanked". My Dad would punch me in the face, hit me with objects, burn me, cut me, etc. That certainly didn't make me a better person - it made me deeply insecure. I still suffer from that every day.

However, I think that there is nothing wrong with smacking your kids. If they do something wrong, give them a clout on the backside. It teaches them discipline and consequences. Note: I'm talking about light smacks here. There is a fine line between discipline and abuse.

EDIT: On second thought, couldn't smacking your kids teach them that violence is the appropriate response to someone who wrongs you? Just a passing thought I had.

 

[Romblen]

Somewhat, as a small child, pain is one of those few things I fully understood. That being said, there's obviously a limit to what a parent should do.

 

[Kyoufuu]

It's not about beating children at all. You're sounding more and more like a troll with every post.

Are you hitting them repeatedly? Yes, you are. Therefore, you are beating them. There's no going around this. Just because you want to discipline your child using this method does not take away from the fact that you're still beating them. Spanking is still beating your child. Maybe a lesser beating but it's still, fundamentally a beating. You cannot go around this.

Nice removal of my bolded 'single slap to the back of the leg' there.
Single. Not repeatedly.

Stop twisting my words.

 

[AndyFromMonday]

Nice removal of my bolded 'single slap to the back of the leg' there.
Single. Not repeatedly.

Hmm... Nope, still don't agree with that. If you can't control your child using non violent means(any sort of agression is violent irregardless of reason) then why did you bother having a child in the first place? And don't give me that bullshit about having to control your kids and having to administer shocks. You can just as easily control your child by being stern. If you can't control them by being stern then you've probably hit them in the past which to them is now the ultimate punishment and will respond to nothing but that.

 

[TealRose]

What is wrong with a little spanking now and then ?? What is RIGHT with it !  There is NO justification for hitting a defenceless child EVER - just as there is NO justification for hitting husbands, the girl at the checkout, the taxman or animals! Children should grow up with gentle, kind discipline - which btw means to teach!
Yes, I have seen MANY MANY children who weren't spanked and who are obedient, honorable and GENTLE children!!  They are NOT the exception at all !!  
As for allowing it back into schools - as 'good children' won't have anything to worry about - it's not true - adults are just as likely to be mean, unkind, tired and fed up, and plain bullies as children!  
As for the playing with knives, running in the road, touching a hot fire, stove etc - I am so SICK of these 'reasons' to spank!!  As the adult/parent - knives should be out of reach, and running in the road - how?  A toddler is either on reins, held, or kept away from a road, or if there is one near a play area then the adult is around to keep them safe!  Touching a fire - where is the fireguard?  Touching the stove - er ...HOW is toddler supposed to be able to actually REACH it ??  Where is the adult ???? 
I am a 56 yr old grandmother - who was spanked as a child.  I lost my respect and love for my parents with the first smack.  I felt my world crumble - they were supposed to love me and cherish me, not HIT me.  They told me not to hit - but THEY could - so I learned that adults could do and get away with anything and that they lie.  I learned they didn't love me - the after spank pep talk of 'its over and oh we love you' didn't hold water with me - after all actions speak louder than words !! - authority of parents ?  Oh yes but hitting is not the way to get it !  Respect goes two ways.
You spank or hit to 'get a child's attention' ?? What is wrong with your power of speech? Or getting down to their level and talking to them which is much more personal.  What about just removing them from the danger ?  If you are close enough to the child to spank it you are close enough to get it's attention!
Spanking teaches nothing except to avoid it - not right from wrong or the reason why. Spanking in anger is always wrong and is open to even more abuse, while spanking cold .. well ... that is just cold blooded and even more frightening, even to me as an adult.  
 In Europe spanking has been banned in most places - some for a very long time [since the 1700's], and yet, we have less violence, anger, crime etc than America!  In my High School the pupils were kind, caring, helpful and well behaved with no corporal punishment.  Whereas the other High School [children from the same areas btw] where corporal punishment was used, was full of kids that were utter hooligans and always in trouble.  
You can't spank WITH LOVE ...it's an oxymoron!  Love is gentle and kind, love is patient!  Yes... children drive us all mad sometimes - but THAT is what children do!  It is lazy and thoughtless to just spank and worse to lash out - as in smacking a child in the mouth, yanking their hair etc.  Spanking and all these other nasty behaviour like soaping in the mouth are can lead to death due to allergy or just the throat closing up due to the chemicals involved, emotionally damaging [and if you were spanked and think you are 'fine' think again!] and potentially sexually abusive too - bare bottom spanking to you means nothing sexually - but to a lot of kids it does, and it does even more when they grow to be adults.  

Just because a thing has been 'done for aeons' does not make it right!  Wife beating, slavery and rape and buggery of 7 year olds in Ancient Rome have all been seen to be abuse and banned - and so should hitting a child!  Spanking [aka slippering, belting, stropping, paddling, whipping, birching, caning, hitting with wooden spoons, rulers, paint sticks, yard sticks etc] belongs in the dustbin - and we should all learn to love and cherish our little ones.  
I had two children and never spanked - and they are now the most kind, helpful, gentle adults.  

 

[Dragonborne88]

I can't remember if I ever was or not. My parents had plenty of ways of disciplining me when I did something dumb, and I turned into a pretty compassionate guy, so whatever they did helped. I remember having to stand facing the corner for HOURS though, that was probably what I feared the most.

I think they did when I was REALLY young and got into the "Touchy experimentation stage", but as I got older, they never did spankings. The threat of removing my game systems, internet, or even just being "disappointed" was usually enough to keep me from doing anything. Their disappointment was usually akin to pretending I didn't exist and just serving meals in silence. It was maddening and I usually apologized just to get them to talk to me again.