to smack, or not to smack

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

Would you be arrested for slapping your 95KG flat mate relatively lightly on the hand? Beating a child isn't ok, no one here is defending that I believe. And there is a difference in beating and smacking.



For the record, I'm (and I believe everyone else here) would be talking a light slap. Nothing that could land a child in the emergency room.

Rb wrote: »

You're talking about genuine ADHD, and I'd disagree anyway, but I'm talking about the current phase of every second kid in America being diagnosed with it due to bad parenting and over-keen doctors (for their bonuses).

Deleted User wrote: »

Show me the science. Someone mentioned the US as an example of the degradation of behaviour amongst children since parents stop hitting them and then Rb admits he'll probably shower his kids with rewards beyond what they deserve. There is an equal if not greater possibility that it is the growth of the instant gratification of children in order to mollify them and the over the top showering of gifts upon children as well as the lack of a balanced diet and positive parental attention that has lead to the break down of children's behaviour.

Show me the science that says hitting a kid is good and I will evaluate it. I cannot find any.

american academy of paediatrics wrote:

Despite its common acceptance, and even advocacy for its use,16 spanking is a less effective strategy than time-out or removal of privileges for reducing undesired behavior in children. Although spanking may immediately reduce or stop an undesired behavior, its effectiveness decreases with subsequent use. The only way to maintain the initial effect of spanking is to systematically increase the intensity with which it is delivered, which can quickly escalate into abuse. Thus, at best, spanking is only effective when used in selective infrequent situations.

The following consequences of spanking lessen its desirability as a strategy to eliminate undesired behavior.

Spanking children <18 months of age increases the chance of physical injury, and the child is unlikely to understand the connection between the behavior and the punishment.
Although spanking may result in a reaction of shock by the child and cessation of the undesired behavior, repeated spanking may cause agitated, aggressive behavior in the child that may lead to physical altercation between parent and child.
Spanking models aggressive behavior as a solution to conflict and has been associated with increased aggression in preschool and school children.17
Spanking and threats of spanking lead to altered parent-child relationships, making discipline substantially more difficult when physical punishment is no longer an option, such as with adolescents.
Spanking is no more effective as a long-term strategy than other approaches,18 and reliance on spanking as a discipline approach makes other discipline strategies less effective to use.19 Time-out and positive reinforcement of other behaviors are more difficult to implement and take longer to become effective when spanking has previously been a primary method of discipline.
A pattern of spanking may be sustained or increased. Because spanking may provide the parent some relief from anger, the likelihood that the parent will spank the child in the future is increased.20
Parents who spank their children are more likely to use other unacceptable forms of corporal punishment.21 The more children are spanked, the more anger they report as adults, the more likely they are to spank their own children, the more likely they are to approve of hitting a spouse, and the more marital conflict they experience as adults.20 Spanking has been associated with higher rates of physical aggression, more substance abuse, and increased risk of crime and violence22 when used with older children and adolescents.