Do you think spanking (in general) should be illegal?

[Grad Students are the Worst]

I'm not convinced it's especially effective, and it seems to communicate an odd sense of right and wrong.  There's not always going to be an authority around to physically punish you, and when it comes to adults, it'd be assault.  The entire spanking thing is contingent on "I'm physically stronger and in a position of authority -- and you're young enough that it's suborned."  I completely understand that this is lost on most kids, but once it isn't, the whole concept seems to fall apart.  It seems that there are better, more reality-reflective ways of instilling the idea that poor behavior leads to consequences.  Yes, kids need those consequences to be more immediately connected with the misbehavior.  But putting aside ethics and problems with the practicality of the "lesson" given, why assume that this is even the best way of making that connection?  The research on efficacy seems pretty damn mixed.  It would have to be pretty obviously superior to consider this, IMO, and it doesn't seem that way.

Legality-wise:  I have a tough time swallowing the exemption that makes it not simple assault.  I hate the idea of punishing well-intentioned people for doing what they think is right, but if this exemption didn't already exist, and someone was proposing it, I'd be against it.  But, like I said, I'm not rushing to punish good, well-intentioned people.

[Grumps]

As someone who was often beaten rather than spanked, I can tell you there is a difference, but as I age, my inclination is to spank the parents for not disciplining their kids.  I am so sick of lil brats running through stores and restaurants and the parents do NOTHING.......Beat the parents who give their kids zero discipline. .....that's my theory

[You kip if you want to...]

No, it shouldn't be illegal in cases of parent and their child. If it's any other adult, who isn't the child in questions parent \(including a teacher), then it should be illegal in those cases.

[Snowguy716]

I got spanked like 3 times as a kid.

My dad spanked my brother a lot and quite severely... until one day my brother got so mad that he punched my dad in the face and he got a bloody nose.  That's when he realized that spanking wasn't effective.

Still, he spanked me a few times and I would get so angry at him.. once when I was like 6 I slammed my bedroom door so hard that the plastic light switch cover cracked and broke in half...

All the spanking did was make me defiant... so he stopped.

So.. I would never spank my kids.  It's so incredibly pointless.  There is no reason a full grown adult should be hitting any child.  If you feel a need to hit your child, it is YOU that needs to learn discipline, not your child.

A far more effective punishment is to make the child stand with their nose up against a wall for a good half hour or so.


Edit:  I think there is one case where a quick swat might be warranted (not to hurt the child but to surprise them)..  if your child was about to run out into a street with traffic... I'd wrench him back and swat him on the butt to scare the hell out of him.

[dead0man]

Is it possible, and I know this is coming out of left field, but is it possible that kids, like people, are different and what works for some might not work for others?  So spankings for some, abortion for others, small American flags for everyone!

[Vepres]

No, but I don't think it works in many cases.

[BushKenya]

It definitely should not be illegal.  I was spanked once as kid with a big board in the 6th grade, thanks to 7 zeroes in English and 1 zero in Social Studies, so 8 swats for 8 zeroes.  It hurt like the dickens, but it sure made me bring everything up to A's and B's in all classes.

I agree with corporal punishment in schools, as well.  The school teacher and principal have to keep their schools and classrooms in order and keep civility from leaving early for the day.  Some kids need to get their butts smacked.  It shouldn't be a hard swat, and definitely not enough to scar a child, but hard enough to get the child's attention.  Dead0man is right when it depends on the child.  I think spanking in schools should be used the last resort before Out of School Suspension.    Some kids learn better with grounding or nose-in-the-corner or, nowadays, loss of cell phone/computer/TV.

I also agree with Gramps in the desire to knock parents around for letting their kids run around public places like it was a school playground.

[Hashemite]

New Zealand held a 'citizens-initiated' referendum on this last year, with the awfully loaded question being:

"Should a smack as part of good parental correction be a criminal offence in New Zealand?"

No 87.4%, obviously.

[BushKenya]

New Zealand held a 'citizens-initiated' referendum on this last year, with the awfully loaded question being:

"Should a smack as part of good parental correction be a criminal offence in New Zealand?"

No 87.4%, obviously.

Good.  New Zealanders certainly know to leave the government out of raising a child.

[opebo]

Oh, you meant for children, by parents, teachers, etc.  Change my 'no' vote to 'yes'.

I think spanking is a nice idea between prostitutes and clients, of course, though its most definitely not my thing (always seems a bit silly).

[Hashemite]

New Zealand held a 'citizens-initiated' referendum on this last year, with the awfully loaded question being:

"Should a smack as part of good parental correction be a criminal offence in New Zealand?"

No 87.4%, obviously.

Good.  New Zealanders certainly know to leave the government out of raising a child.

The biased and sh**tty question made it rather certain that the NO would win big.

[paul718]

Parents should be allowed to hit their kids, causing nothing more lasting than a red ass.  

When I was little, my mother would hit me with the wooden spoon.  She would aim for my butt, but I would instinctively cover my buttcheeks with my hands.  So she would end up hitting my hands, which hurt A LOT more.  Eventually, I wised up...and took all of her wooden spoons and hid them.

[Ebowed]

It definitely should not be illegal.  I was spanked once as kid with a big board in the 6th grade, thanks to 7 zeroes in English and 1 zero in Social Studies, so 8 swats for 8 zeroes.  It hurt like the dickens, but it sure made me bring everything up to A's and B's in all classes.

Do you mean to tell us that you were actually spanked for getting poor grades?

[Bo]

I find it hypocrticail how liberals say that they want the govt. out of people's personal lives, yet they butt in when a parent spanks his child and want to send that parent to jail. Spaking should remain legal. The only cases where it should be illegal is if it leaves lasting marks.

[Frodo]

No -besides, such a ban (if it were ever to be introduced) would be unenforceable.  

[N.i.K.]

No -  It would be a "paper" law and would not do anything at all. Like it would actually stop parents from spanking their children... Besides, to be honest, it is an acceptable form of punishment.

Beating and hitting your child is much worse.

[Χahar]

It definitely should not be illegal.  I was spanked once as kid with a big board in the 6th grade, thanks to 7 zeroes in English and 1 zero in Social Studies, so 8 swats for 8 zeroes.  It hurt like the dickens, but it sure made me bring everything up to A's and B's in all classes.

Do you mean to tell us that you were actually spanked for getting poor grades?

I was.

[BushKenya]

It definitely should not be illegal.  I was spanked once as kid with a big board in the 6th grade, thanks to 7 zeroes in English and 1 zero in Social Studies, so 8 swats for 8 zeroes.  It hurt like the dickens, but it sure made me bring everything up to A's and B's in all classes.

Do you mean to tell us that you were actually spanked for getting poor grades?

Yep.  It was the only way my parents could get through to me.  The sad thing is it happened just 2 days after my 13th birthday, which was not a happy birthday.  I got whacked on May 1, 1995 and by the end of the school year three weeks later, I had gone from having 8 zeroes on my record to all A's and B's.  Of course, it helped that my English teacher, the class that I had 7 of the zeroes, gave me a second chance.  If it weren't for the spankings and her kindness, I could have failed the sixth grade and been forced to experience the humiliation of graduating high school at age 20.