I believe that spanking is necessary in some cases, but not all. If spanking is the parents only way of disciplining their children than the child is going to become unresponsive to it. Children need positive reinforcement by being told when they did something correctly. I know that for me, when my parents praise me for doing something well, I try hard to get the same reaction. Although when I've done something I shouldn't have and get punished for it, I understand my punishment and refrain from doing whatever got me in trouble. In my household I have two younger brothers, aged four and seven. My parents threaten them with "the belt" (ex. going to get their pj's on and brushing teeth) when they have asked many times for them to do so. At first, this would work and now it doesn't as well because my parents will have to chase them around the house for it to actually work. Due to seeing this negative reinforcement first hand, I have come to realize that this punishment doesn't always work. This is exactly why I would save this way of reinforcement for extreme behavior.

I don't think that spanking is absolutely necessary in order to parent a child, but at the same time I do not think that it is unjust or unnecessary. It is obvious that not all families are the same, and what may work for one family may be completely different from the next. I definitely do not think that spanking is something that should be overused- just as the article said: it should not be used for petty misbehavior or out of a parent's anger. As well, I belive that it should not go farther than just a slap or two on the backside. In all honesty, I think people are thinking way too deeply into the matter. Yes, if you really sit and think about it, the concept of hitting a child does not sound right, and sounds like it could possibly have negative psychological effects on the child. But lets be honest- how many of us has been spanked at least one time in our lives? In my opinion, its part of growing up. Its part of our culture. I was spanked as a child, not excessively, and I know plenty of people who were spanked on occasion, and I see no pattern in any violent tendencies or other lasting psychological effects. Is spanking abuse? No. If it doesn't go past a simple smack on the backside on occasion, I don't believe it will cause any lasting psychological effects- good or bad. My opinion is just that spanking is neither necessary nor unnecessary; it is just a certain parenting technique that can be used.

Spanking is an acceptable parenting technique; with that being said, a parent cannot allow it to become their primary way of raising their children. Many children who exhibit excessively undesirable behaviors such as repeated disrespect for others respond better to spanking than they do to other punishments such as time out. Children who have a tendency to disobey rules can benefit greatly from spanking too, as they may not accept their parent's role as mentor without it. When I was young kid, i had an abundance of curiousity and loved nothing more than to wander around outside. My parents, being avid protestors of spanking, chose to stray away from physical reinforcement. While in our backyard, I would repeatedly disobey them by climbing fences and trees until I'd get stuck; when i would call my parents for help, they would initially make me stay up on my fence or tree as it was a result of my own disobedience and I needed to learn a lesson from my actions. One summer week my parents went out of town and I stayed with my grandma in Mississippi while they were gone. While staying at her house, the one rule was that I could not go near the wasp nest in the garage. Rather than heeding her warning, I took a fly swatter, climbed the stool leading to the wasp nest and swung away at it. Although the nest was a dead one, I would suffer for my disobedience . My grandma took the very same fly swatter that I had used and slapped my butt with it until I could cry no more tears. Since that day I have never messed with wasp nests and I owe it to spanking.While my parents non-physical approach to parenting proved effective, only spanking could offer such a stern punishment that could so easily deter me from such unwanted behaviors. Although it is effective as a parent, too much spanking can lead to a tendency for child abuse and can leave children forever scarred . The key, as with everything, is moderation.

I strongly think that spanking is a necessary parenting tool. I think that all the way up to the age of six, parents should spank their children, not necessarily as a punishment, but as a way to keep them safe. Like if a little kid were to put his hand over a stove and the parent where to smack there hand, that would be understandable. If a child liked to touch or hit people, and the parent where to spank them and tell them that’s not nice to do. That’s understandable. But in some cases for some kids, spanking will not work. Most likely in other teens that have been spanked before in their life, spanking might not affect them as much. Some older kids way of discipline could be as simple as taking away their cellular phone. A simple thing such of that would make them go insane. I believe that spanking, and the act of grounding are the best ways of discipline.

I think that spanking has times when it is and is not appropriate. It is a tool that can be used for good and evil. The way a parent spanks will dictate what kind of effect it has. It can cause the child to learn from their abrupt behavior or permanently scare the child with feelings of depression, aggression, and low self-esteem. I think its most important for parents to key in on what they spank their kids for. If they spank their kids because they don't feel like eating brussel sprouts then it will only harm the child. It my opinion, i can really say which parenting style is most affective, because it depends on the child. Some child can be reasoned with and then put in a corner and appropriately reflex on their actions while others can not. Despite what other views people might have on spanking its most important for a kid to repect their parents not fear them.

I believe that spanking is a necessary parenting tool. Spanking is necessary because it is one of the most effective ways to teach children to behave a certain way. However, I don't believe that spanking should be the first resort to discipline a child. But in most cases, just talking to your child about how badly they are behaving is usually ineffective. It is ineffective because it isn't a strong punishment tool and children are more likely to behave inappropriately with little consequences. After spanking your child, the child realizes how serious the situation is and will more likely change their behaviors. I don't think spanking will cause a child to fear their parents but they will have more respect for them and their authority. I was also spanked as a child and it made me have more respect for my parents' authority and I also thought twice about doing something wrong. But as i got older and no longer got spankings, I never really feared the punishments my parents would give me if i did something wrong. So in conclusion, spanking is an effective parenting tool and it should be used by parents if they feel that their child is constantly misbehaving.

I think spanking is an acceptable discipline method, but it shouldn't be used for minor offenses. Parents should try taking away things before resorting to spanking, but if the child is constantly doing the same wrong behavior over and over, spanking may be required to get rid of this unwanted behavior. I can say this out of experience, as a child my father would spank me when I disobeyed him, and by the time I was 5 I had learned that I need to do what my parents told me to do when I was told. Though this habit has left me since then, it was very effective while it was being used. I also have friends that were spanked as a child and I have not noticed violent tendencies in them, in fact most of them have better manners than those who weren't spanked as children. In short, I believe that spanking is appropriate in certain situations, but in order to be truly affective it has to be used in extremes to make it seem more harsh. For example if you use it everyday, it wouldn't be as effective as once a month.

I believe that spanking is not a necessary parenting practice. In my personal opinion the best thing you can do is talk to your child or use less drastic form of punishment. As a child i was not spanked very often but occasionally because of something i did to disobey my mother. A good friend of mine was spanked regularly and has turned out very violent and i believe is not going to grow up to be very successful. I am not saying that spanking makes a child not succeed but I do say that many kids who were spanked are a lot more either angry or depressed in later life. So i believe one of the most effective ways to discipline is take privilages away, ground them, etc. This has worked for me my entire life and I have turned out quite well.

I believe that spanking is effective and necessary in some cases. A parent should know their child and what works best for them disciple wise. A spanking would not be an effective method for all children. Some children do not need to be spanked in order for them to be disciplined. Knowing their parents are disappointed or a simple stern “no” may be enough. However not all children respond the same way to verbal discipline. It seems as if spankings often get confused with child abuse and they are two totally DIFFERENT things. I do not agree with parents who spank only when they are angry or use this as the only means of discipline for even the small things such as, a child accidentally spilling something on the ground. I feel that a spanking is necessary when a child has repeatedly done something in defiance or when they are about to do something that may be harmful to themselves. I also feel a parent would not have to spank a child often if they are consistent with the rules that they try to teach their child. Regardless, spanking should be viewed as a means of discipline for raising children. There are just some situations where it is the thing to do.

I think that spanking is perfectly acceptable in situations where it's needed. Some people say it teaches violence, but I would say that that depends on the degree of spanking. There is a pretty clear difference between spanking your child and beating/abusing them. When I was younger, my parents spanked me occasionally, and that was usually enough to convince me not to misbehave. My parents didn't intend for the spanking to hurt that much; the threat itself, along with the humiliation, was worse than the actual spanking. I don't think parents should spank their children too hard, or do it too often, because then it becomes a tool for punishing their child excessively instead of merely a way to correct a behavior. Then, it loses its effectiveness. It's more effective if parents spank their children every once in a while, and just send them to their room or deny them dessert for all the other times they do something wrong. I definitely don't think spanking is "child abuse"- I think that people are oversensitive nowadays, and there are too many children that simply push their parents around because their parents don't want to toughen up and set up any rules or consequences. Spanking is a good way to remind children that their parents are in control, and have to be listened to. However, once the child knows that their parent has authority, the parent doesn't need to constantly invoke that authority by spanking their child for every little thing the child does wrong.

spanking is a method used by parents since the ancient Romans in the B.C era. i agree that spanking is necessary to teach children self-control and right from wrong. but i feel that spanking should be used as a last resort when disciplining your child. i believe that parents who spank their kids should stop at a certain age when signs of maturity begin to visualize. i understand that some parents spank their kids even if they don't like it, they believe it as tool for helping them which is nonsense. why do something you dislike? how does a parent spank their child one second then cry about it later. spanking is a necessary parenting tool to discipline children who misbehave. i necessarily don't believe their is a perfect parenting style but different styles work for different kids. some kids who are more aggressive as adults were probably spanked to much. if they were given spankings less often maybe their personality would have been different now. i strongly agree that parents should listen to their kids and understand their point of view. a helpful lesson for kids would be parent explaining what they did bad and what to do next time. parents who spank their kids can easily apply these methods. sometimes even making deals with kids gives them a goal to aim for which could be the encouragement they require.

Spanking, when done properly, is an effective tool for parenting. Punishment is a necessary form of parenting, providing youth with an example of reality. When adults break laws, they receive fines, tickets, or even jail time. Children need to learn such things as well. When taught what is wrong, generally through occasional spankings, children learn to no longer repeat such disobedient behaviors. Calmly spanking a child, not out of fear, anger, or other emotional stimulation, instills respect for authority and fear of discipline. Note that fear deviates from another spanking, not the parent, during times of discipline. After the kid enters kindergarten, ages five and up, parents need to turn spanking sessions into mini lectures, asking the child to identify the reason for receiving the spanking. The quick identification session should arise before the spanking insinuates, done only when the parent(s) is calm. Once identified, the parent should proceed with the spanking, and after the spanking remind the child for why the spanking occurred. Proper spanking involves usage only when the child disobeys the parent blatantly and intentionally, such as doing things they were told not to do. This methodology works best when combined with reinforcement, such as compliments and some small rewards like dessert or more play time, for positive behaviors. Leaving a child alone for some periods of time will not hurt the child (not a baby, but a toddler can have some freedom) since the parent can not watch the child all day, every day. Allowing the child to have some freedom, allows the child learn about boundaries, specifically with reinforcement aiding positive behaviors while punishment deludes negative ones. When used in conjunction with reinforcement, occasional spanking provides a grand support mechanism for children, teaching them right from wrong in a calm manner.

I would like to think I'm an advocate of spanking but I have to say, as I've seen first hand, it doesn't always work. A few children in particular I'm thinking of don't respond to spanking. They are nice kids but often get in trouble and are often punished with a spanking. I have witnessed them get in trouble, get a spanking, and a week later, do it again! I have to disagree with Kayla, that once a child gets spanked, they'll completley stop their bad behavior. In alot of cases, it doesn't work this way; I think kids get "hit", grin and bear it, then forget that it happened and keep acting like a kid. Theres that saying, "kids will be kids" so kids are going to act up and be obnoxious which i think is normal and shouldn't always be handle with spanking.But spanking is a natrual part of being a kid and CAN be an effective way of punishment sometimes, but it doesn't work on all kids. Hibitual misbehavers aren't going to let one spanking slow them down but maybe the kid who only acts up on occasion, will benefit from a spanking and learn his/her lesson. I think spanking is fine but in my opinion, it ultimatly depends on the child and the other methods of parenting the parent uses.

Spanking is a parenting tool that is only to be used with extreme disgression due to the nature of what you are doing to the child. At too young of an age the child may not know why it is being spanked and at too old of an age it may create problems or fear within the child. Spanking should be used on kids above the age of 5 when they are old enough to know what they did wrong. This action asserst dominance and authority to the parents and it shows the child when they are doing something wrong. As well, spanking is not a tool to cause physical pain but a tool to simply let the child know who is in charge. There are adverse reactions to this and sometimes parents use the tool too often and ineffectively. Spanking is a tool of disgression, something that parents must be disciplined enough to display.

I have heard many stories of spanking being either effective or a lost cause. As Bryce mentioned earlier, some parents spank their children due to an emotional stimulus, which is seen to prove non-effective due to the excessive punishment decided somewhat on the parent’s whims. Even petty behavior can cause a parent to get angry and want to spank the child. However, with multiple spankings for many different reasons, it serves a counter-purpose, confusing the child instead of enlightening. Those children who were spanked only because of defiance, tend to understand better why they are receiving punishment, and therefore cease quicker. Even though it has been proven through studies of different generations that spanking does not increase violent tendencies in children, I still do not see it as a necessary parenting tool by itself. Punishment, done only when direct defiance is shown, may tend to teach the child what not to do, but never does it advocate what the ideal behavior the parent is looking for is. That is why operant conditioning—especially variable interval reinforcement—is very helpful to use alongside with punishment. Because variable interval is a type of reinforcement, it will help to increase the frequency of ideal behaviors while also creating a higher resistance towards extinction. Punishment is not effective alone, but when associated with operant conditioning techniques, the child has a much more clear idea as to what the expected ideal behaviors are. This combination leads to the best and clearest form of discipline for the child.

I doont think that spanking should be used as a punishment in most cases. Only in a very severe case, in which the child needs to know that they have done something very wrong, should spanking be used. Parents teach their children not to hit and to use their words to work out a disagreement, not their fists. For this very reason, parents should be role models for their children, and instead of hitting their child to resolve a problem, they should sit down with their child and talk about why their actions weere wrong. Spanking often creates confusion for a child because, at a young age, they might not know why they are being punished. Explaining to the child what they did wrong, and scolding them for it will be much more effective than spanking the child. In those rare cases that the childdoes something very wrong and a strong punishment is needed, spanking can be used, but it should always be explainedto the child why they are being spanked before they are actually spanked. If spanking is reserved just for severe offenses, then the child will know what things are definitely forbidden and off limits.

Spanking is a necessary parenting tool when the child is at a very young age or if used as a last resort. When a child is at the age of one, parents can not reason with the child; however, once the child is at the age of four, parents should attempt to reason with the child by warning him if such misbehavior continues. Thus, if the child continues to misbehavior then a spanking should be followed if it is completely necessary. Excessive and unnecessary violence punishment such as spanking will undoubtedly lead to violent behavior in the future of the child because there has been studies that abuse (if spanking was taken too far) on children correlated with the same abused children abusing their own. Instead of teaching a child with damage and fear, parents should be parenting with operant conditioning specifically positive reinforcement. With positive reinforcement, the child will obey and behave well for their reward without having to be hurt in any way. The most effective discipline would be an analytic lecture because it pin points the problems that the child struggles with. An analytic lecture is not too abstruse and should be able to be construed correctly resulting a snap back to reality for the child. If the significant point does come across the child then very minimum spanking/physical punishment should be involved to get the child's attention.
So which is it? Well, spanking is a necessary parenting behavior only at a early age or if used as a last resort; however, spanking is unnecessary and can (possibly will) develop an aggressive behavior.

In Webster's, "spank" means "to strike on the buttocks with an open hand." However, a mission statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) describes it as "striking a child with an open hand on the buttocks or extremities with the intention of modifying behavior without causing physical injury." But if you ask ten moms and dads what spanking means, you may well hear ten different responses. Though, regardless of which definition is being used, spanking entails hitting of some kind, and in my opinion, abuse is never acceptable. Not only is spanking ineffective, but it can also become very dangerous. As many articles have stated, it is ineffective because it only teaches a child to fear his parents, not to respect them, and dangerous because using force can injure a child and "warp" his understanding of how to interact with others: namely, that it's okay to hit someone to get your own way. Clearly, this is wrong...By using this so-called "parenting tool", these parents are teaching their kids worse behaviors of how to act later in life. Gosh, you parents are setting SUCH a great example.

A child's first years are supposed to include happy and "bonding" moments, not horrifying nightmares. Child and parent are supposed to create a healthy and positive relationship, not a negative one. Throughout these first couple of years, each are supposed to learn about each other and form a connection. Parents are supposed to be teaching their children how to behave and how not to behave as they develop. But if a child has repeatedly disobeyed you, it's because YOU (the parent) failed to set limits...It's not the child's fault. There's the problem: you failed to set AND hold to limits; so don't blame the child for your own mistakes. They shouldn't have to receive this pointless punishment.

According to researcher Diana Baumrind, children respond best to a more balanced parenting style described as authoritative, rather than authoritarian. Authoritarian parents are demanding, but not responsive — which means that children have to follow lots of rules that don't necessarily consider their needs or wishes. In contrast, authoritative parents are both sufficiently demanding and appropriately responsive. Children learn about boundaries and responsibilities, but their parents take into consideration children's input and are concerned about their special needs and wishes. Thus authoritative parenting has been found to be the most effective style for raising happy, achieving children. Communication is ultimately the key when raising a child...You must be firm with your decisions but also be aware of their perspective. If a child is misbehaving don't just spank them because you have a lack of patience, try to get through to them and simplify things so they understand the situation and why they can't do something or can't act a certain way. As a parent, one of your jobs is to teach your child to behave. While this can take time, try not to get frustrated when your child does not behave. Instead, learn effective ways to discipline your child!

So, what do you do? Use consequences...not punishment. Instead of using an angry tone of voice, try a calm tone of voice. Instead of having a hostile attitude about the situation, act friendly but with a firm attitude. Instead of being unwilling to give a choice (otherwise known as being stubborn), be willing to accept the child's decision. Effective discipline methods work better than punishment in teaching children how to behave. The more parents use effective discipline methods, the less children need punishment. There is honestly no excuse for using physical or verbal punishment to discipline a child...you're just acting lazy and taking the easy way out. Using consequences as a discipline method helps children learn to take responsibility for their behavior. The important part to this is that the child must see the relationship between their misbehavior and the consequences or it will not work. If the child and its parent can have this relationship, then the problems won't persist. Yes, it takes time, but would you rather have your child grow into a positive future or end up beating his own wife, kids, and the ones he/she loves because that's the kind of relationship they learned from you (the parent) when they were growing up? Like spanking, does that seem okay, too?

To be frank, everyone is over-reacting. Not necessarily just the students in this class, but everyone involved in the debate in general. The article says that "few parenting topics inflame emotion the way spanking does," but spanking is not a big deal. It's a simple, smart swat on the backside to scare the child out of repeating the behavior. And if it's not the pain (which they move past fairly quickly anyways) that scares them, then it's the attitude the parent has towards them as they are being disciplined. Not to mention that kids make everything more dramatic than it is. It is SO not as big a deal as people are saying it is. That is, every parent has a different style, which can be just as effective as the next style no matter if spanking is a tool used or not. But it is just that - a tool. It is not a means for taking out anger nor can it be relied upon in and of itself to teach the child how to behave. Spanking is not child abuse because it's just a smart swat and besides its justifiable in that it teaches the kid how not to act. It does not teach violent behavior because it is not violent, yet it is also not really a "necessary" parenting tool. Different children respond to different reinforcers. Those who argue that spanking teaches violence are drawing a line where there is none. It must be considered that children who get in trouble later in life probably do so because of their personality and behavior, which earned them this punishment in the first place.

Parents must be wary of paying enough attention to their child on a regular basis. If spanking becomes a method of getting the most attention from one's parent, one may act out to get this attention. They also must be cautious not to spank too hard or too often, as both situations would send the wrong message to the child. Nor can parents cry, like the woman in the TIMES article, because then their authority is doubted. I agree with Becca that it is extremely vexatious to see a parent disciplining their child in public, but I believe it is just as annoying to see a parent doting on a child and showering them with positive reinforcers for saying "excuse me" after they burp or another such behavior that should be expected of them in the first place. Jasmine and Parker claim that spanking is abuse. It. is. not. abuse. Webster defines abuse as "a corrupt practice or custom; physical maltreatment. It is not a corrupt practice because the parent often has solid reasons behind using the technique. Spanking a child is not maltreating them - it's disciplining them. As Cheri Weeks, a child psychologist and mother of three, says, "I need to discipline my children so that the world doesn't have to." Come on, toughen up.

Spanking in parenting should never be prohibited. This is true because when children are young, they usually want to be just like their parents and watch what they do and try to learn from them. Spanking exhibits violent behavior that children may learn from and begin to think that anger should be showed as aggression. This teaches that to solve their problems, they should not try to explain their feelings, they should turn violent to express themselves. Also, it is very embarrassing for the child, parent, and spectators of this awkward event if it is done in public. So that leaves the question, what should parents do instead? Parents should use authoritative, strong consequences as opposed to punishments. In addition, using reinforcers continuously will build good behavior. In this way, the children may simply see how their bad behavior affects their world and then they can go from there to improve. Using this method will strengthen the bond between the child and parent, as opposed to creating horrible childhood memories. As with all parenting techniques, this method requires patience. It may seem difficult to train your child to behave, but it will also be extremely rewarding in the end.

Several people mentioned that the children "chose" to have bad behavior. However, I would disagree, especially in cases with younger children. At their young age, it is quite possible that a distinction between what's considered good behavior has not been made from what is considered bad behavior. The child may not know that what he or she has done is wrong, and if no reinforcement is there to inform the child, he/she will have a harder time making the distinction later on. I think spanking is acceptable parenting tool, but on a limited basis. If a child is spanked too much, he/she will have trouble distinguishing what is "right" and will either become timid and unsure of decisions or rebellious and attention-seeking. I am aware that there are other ways to confront a child of his/her bad behavior, but children usually aren't able to understand or express an interest in a parent's logic. I think this method of memorable punishment for bad behavior, coupled with a reward system for good behavior, is the most effective parenting style. When it is used, children become aware of the distinct difference of good and bad behavior and what is expected of them in different situations. They begin to learn that behaving a certain way is in their best interest, and it is this mentality that follows them throughout their lives.

I believe that spanking is not a good disipline tool at all. I agree that it only teaches children violence is ok and is the answer to some issues. As a child I was never spanked or physically punished, I was sent to my room and had my TV and electronics taken away for an hour or so. This method worked for my family, but now we have different ways on punishment. I think if you spank a child it will only make them misbehave more or find different ways to misbehave. The child may not know right away what they did wrong and may just think they are getting hit for no apparent reason. If you displine a child for an hour or so by sending them to time out or taking away a privelege then talking to them after, asking do you know what you did wrong? Will you do it again? But making sure they know that they were in the wrong for their actions. I believe that any kind of physical confrontation is violence, and it is never the answer. The most effective punishment is sitting them down and making sure they know they were in the wrong and for what they are in trouble for. There are always different ways of punishment, but spanking is never ok.

I believe that spanking is a demeaning punishment that parents do to their children. I was not spanked as a child and I am very grateful for that. Children do not need to be physically punished for wrong doings because children live by example and if they see their parents hitting them when they do something wrong, then they could possibly hit someone else for doing something wrong. There are many other ways of punishing a child and making them understand what they did wrong. Some of these styles were used on my sister and I when we were younger because my parents did not believe in spanking. These styles could be more verbal ways of punishment like explaining the situation or speaking in an angry voice. Another one is taking away privileges and material things to prove a point. Violence is never the answer to ANY problem, regardless if it is spanking or not. If the child no longer responded to spanking what will you do next? Would you start punching them or slapping them? Spanking will only lead to more violence.

I believie that spanking is acceptable but not in excess. By explaining why the child is being spanked and not over-doing it, there is no harm being done. Spanking should not be the only form of punishment. A child's life should consist of both positive and negative reinforcement so they learn from their mistakes. Spanking violently is just abuse and the child doesnt understand why they are being hurt so badly. A light spanking with good reason is a parenting technique that has the potential to work but only when paired with both positive and negative reinforcement.

spanking is a choice that should be made dependant on the parent. i was never spanked as a child however i am the only one of my firends that i know of that was not. it can prove to be benneficial in some instances but also may cause the child to become affraid of the parent. now a days it is frowned upon but still happens just about everywhere. there are definitely alternatives to spanking that can be just as effective. it all depends on if the parent is comfertable with doing it. you cannot tell a parent how to raise their child.

I think that spanking is definitely a neccessary tool for parents when punishing theur children. Of course, I think they need to go about it in the right way. First, I think it is very important that the child knows why they are getting this punishment, so they don't get confused. Also, I think that the parents should use a belt or a ruler so that it is not their actual hand hitting them. Then the actual spanking should not be very powerful. I know when I was spanked as a kid, the scariest part was the anticipation, not the actual spanking. I think it shouldn't be as big of a deal as people make it out to be. It's not abuse, and it doesn't teach violence. It just teahes your kid not to misbehave.

I do not think spanking is an acceptable punishment, ever. There are many different outcomes that could come out through spanking. One is that it could work. Another is that it could teach the child that violence is ok, it could make the child more rebellious, only stop that behavior when the parents are around, but the child may act out in the same way once a parent isn't around, and the list goes on. In my opinion I don't think it is worth risking any of those in order to teach a child to not do a certain thing. I think more approriate punishment is to put the child in "timeout" or place them somewhere where they can not doing anything for a set time period. If that doesn't work then take more things away. If that doesn't work then there are more alternatives. Also with spanking I think it would create a problem between the parent and the child as the child would grow to fear and not like their parent(s) for spanking them. I think children do as their parents do and want to be like them. I also don't think yelling is approriate and again will teach the child to yell and act out more and fight back with their parents. Also yelling at a child can create a stutter. The most approiate form of punishment is to first ask the child if they understand what they did is wrong and if so they procede to place them somewhere and take away a toy or TV and make sure they understand the reason they are getting that certain item(s) taken away and if they don't understand then explain to them what they did is wrong and why it is wrong in a nice, calm voice. Spanking will only lead to violence, acting out more, and fear.

Spanking a child after misbehaving is a form of punishment, inflicting pain, that will help the child understand that what they did was wrong. Spanking is not so harsh as to scar the child or be considered "beating" your child. It is a mild pain that is to help the,m learn what to do. The opinion that spanking is completely moral does hold some water however. Theories say that people abused as children grow to abuse their children, or maybe others as well, and also possibly in a more harsh manor. But, after that being stated, you can not conclude that a simple slap on the butt will cause future abusers. I think it is more important to make sure your kids behave in their adolescence, than to think about the possibility of future trouble.

Both saying that spanking is child abuse and that spanking is always necessary are extremes. As Eric said, the purpose of a spanking is to help the child understand what behavior is unacceptable. There is also a huge difference between a directional hit on the butt and beating your child so harshly that they end up with bruises. While there have been many success stories of people who spank their children, their are many successful people who have never been spanked a single time. This just proves that the "perfect" parenting style is solely dependent on the child. Spanking may only be a necessary tool for children who need it. My family is a prime example; I needed to be spanked, while my younger brother rarely did. Neither of us are violent children, and we both do exactly what we need to do. On the flip side, i have a cousin who was spanked his entire life and is now extremely violent and angry. Personally, I feel that when using the spanking method, one must do it properly. You have to be sure that the child knows EXACTLY what they're doing wrong. If they don't, then spanking is futile. I think that the "perfect" way to raise a child is to have a mixture parenting techniques made to fit each and every child.

Sorry I'm lateeeee :((


When a child grows up having been spanked as a form of punishment, it's true that they may be more obedient and less apt to being a "rebel teenager". However, children grow up to be people based on their environment. If a child is spanked, it is more likely that they will indeed grow into a parent who spanks their child as a form of punishment, because they believe that if it worked for them when they were a child, it will work for their child as well. And, this may be true. But I don't believe that spanking a child is the absolute best way to teach child how to behave or be disciplined. There are other methods as to how to go about raising one's child. For example, in the AP Psychology textbook, it states somewhere that it is sometimes necessary to give in to a child's tantrum and give them what they want. It talks about this when dealing with how there is negative and positive reinforcement going on in a situation like this.
Also, each child is very unique in the way that they think. They haven't been in the world for very long and are tempted to try out many different things. Many have yet to learn what is right from what is wrong, and it is important for the parent to take on the responsibility of teaching them which is which. With that said, each child may respond to different types of discipline methods in their own way; they may not respond to spanking the way a parent did when they were a child. It's very crucial to the development of a child's behavior for the parent to figure out and give the child the right method of punishment in order for them to successfully comprehend what they did wrong, and that they shouldn't do it every again. So, yes, in some cases spanking is the most effective discipline method, but it all depends on the child. But don't forget that that child could pick up on the abusive idea of spanking and continue that method as they become parents themselves, even if it won't necessarily work for their children.

To spank or not to spank that is the question. In the past children were spanked by their parents and their teacher if permitted. In today’s society, spanking seems to not existed, however it is still out there in a small degree. I like many of my family were spanked when we were kids for not behaving, but is spanking truly bad. Some believe that spanking is necessary and other believe it’s like a crime against humanity. To my experience of seeing and experiencing spanking or not shows me that spanking is necessary unless truly needed. Spanking does not mean taking out a belt and whipping a child over 10 times, but just a spank that indicates the action committed was very bad. Kids do seem to react a lot when punished but as time passes by they ease down and learn not to redo that certain thing when performed correctly. However, the reason for a punishment must be legitimate and not for selfish deed, such as stopping an annoying kid. Kids who are never punishing seem to not understand what true punishment is and see spanking like an unusual action as well as never learn what they did was truly bad. However, today there are other types of methods to teach kids what is right and wrong such as positive reinforcements. However spanking is still a method that is useful although outdated to stop kids from abusing their privileges. In my personal opinion in the matter is that spanking and other methods should be all considered to see what suits your needs at a certain point, because in today’s society it is hard to keep a perfect child with all the stuff going on.
Sorry for responding super late.

There a fine line between the two of spanking and beating a child, beating a child when you are both angry and yelling can cause the reaction of the child think hitting and doing that what mommy and daddy does to me is good and is the right thing, only because there was not clarification that what they did was wrong until the child mimics it on another child. When a child is too much to handle and verbal punishment is not working “what do we do, is what most parent wonder is it effective but yet not a reflection of bad parenting skills. The way I see it is that spanking a child is ok because a child will be too shocked to do what he or she has done again but what really can make those spankings effective is the parenting skills used with it. After spanking the child parents should explain to the child why he or she was spanked so that the child would not be left confused on what they are being punished for. It’s kind of like taking care of a puppy it uses the bathroom in the house you get angry because it wasn’t the first time so you hit without explain why to the puppy or show what they have done was wrong leaving the puppy confused and scared and most likely to use that on someone else the most effective method that should be used is a abstract approach with a proactive touch kind of like a recipe.

I'm my opinion spacing is only a last resort option to teaching discipline to a child. since most children under 5 don't really understand the concept of being apologetic to another, they are egocentric and think everything revolves around them. so when you spank a child, how will he learn from his mistake if he just says sorry and is being hit by a parent. they need to be bought what is acceptable. after teaching a child how to act in certain situation will make that child be understanding why he is getting spanked if that was necessary. there is a line that a parent shouldn't pass, and that is when it come to beating a child or actually spanking a child for the proper reason, so i think it is acceptable for a parent to spank once in a while.

Spanking is a form of punishment that can be replaced with another form of punishment that may not have the same effect as a spanking. Usually the African American community will be the one to enforce this form of punishment, but who says that African Americans come out better than others. Spanking is ok to use as a punishment as long as it doesn't cross the line of being a beating. It may seem over the line, but sometimes if no other form of punishment is taken seriously by the child, then whooping or spanking the child should be every parent's last resort.

Spanking is quite common throughout American parenting. There is ups and there is downs from it. I think that it could be used at a very early age to be able to tell the child what's right and what's wrong. Spanking is suitable for children around ages 3-5 as long as it's not actually causing physical harm to the child. The point of spanking is to scare the children into behaving. As children grow up they begin to lose that sense of fearfulness so physical punishment is not effective at a later age.

I think that spanking can be an effective parenting tool when used with other parenting tools it can help to emphasize the lesson as a reminder of what the child did wrong as long as the parent tells the child what they did to deserve the punishment. I don’t think that spanking makes a child violent if used along with other techniques and not as the first thing you do when a child misbehaves it should go verbal to physical such as if a child takes something without asking you tell them not to do that before the spanking occurs