Spanking: Legitimate parental choice or act of aggression?

[Dr.3D]

Dr. Benjamin Spock - "We have reared a generation of brats. Parents aren't firm enough with their children for fear of losing their love or incurring their resentment. This is a cruel deprivation that we professionals have imposed on mothers and fathers. Of course, we did it with the best of intentions. We didn't realize until it was too late how our know-it-all attitude was undermining the self assurance of parents."

I wonder how many people remember Dr. Spock and his 1946 book, Baby and Child Care. Generations of parents followed his advice and he even influenced the parents of today, even though most don't realize it.

Those who don't know about Dr. Spock and his death bed recantation, should do a little research and find more about him.

[Christian Liberty]

You're missing the point, dude. Spanking isn't simply an aspect of a certain parenting style, it's a violation of the nonaggression principle against the most vulnerable beings in the entire world!

Edit: By the way, thanks for starting this topic, FF. Even if we're polar opposites on the issue it's an extremely important (if not the most important) conversation to have.

I guess the bottom line here is this. I'm not really familiar with the statistics. So, I'm not really qualified to argue whether spanking is pragmatically a good idea or not. But, I do believe that parents have a (limited) right to discipline their children as they see fit. If a parent is actually causing serious physical harm to their child. I'd agree that should be outlawed the same way child rape or child murder (including abortion, though I understand this is controversial here) should be outlawed. But if a spanking is done in such a way that only brief physical pain is caused, I don't see how we can say anything worse about that than that it may be sub-optimal (I'm not getting into the pragmatic debate.)

Also, I can just envision SWAT teams breaking into parents home's and dragging children away because they were spanked. I doubt you're OK with that, but you have to know it would happen in this society. Even if spanking is an act of aggression, the punishment would never be proportionate.

I don't think you can strictly apply the NAP to kids, and that works to their benefit as well. Its the same reason child neglect (contrary to Rothbard) should be a crime.

[Christian Liberty]

Also, I think there's a difference between "slapping someone around" and spanking them. The former implies a rash decision made out of anger, while the latter suggests a deliberate, limited, calculated punishment for wrong-doing.

[amy31416]

You really, really have to know your child before going the spanking route, it can be very destructive. Public school teachers do not really get to know most of the children they teach, so I can't see that being justified there.

I would never send my kid to a school where spanking was encouraged or allowed. I have met children who might only respond to that sort of thing, but I have no idea if it's because they are who they are or if their parents failed them. In my limited experience, I think it's the latter.

[Seraphim]

There is also a difference between one firm slap to the bum for a young kid who is just being a terror and needs to be snapped out of it and an over the knee spanking. The idea of putting a kid over my knee and spanking them just doesn't strike me as productive. The former is probably the only time I would and under the circumstance of not for punishing a specific thing that I just found out about, but rather a kid who is going through a ridiculous trantrum and acting like a demon and needs a clear signal that enough is enough.

Also, I think there's a difference between "slapping someone around" and spanking them. The former implies a rash decision made out of anger, while the latter suggests a deliberate, limited, calculated punishment for wrong-doing.

[euphemia]

One of the big misunderstandings about spanking is that it is an either/or issue. It's not the only tool in the box. It is one of the tools. There are many other tools that come before a spanking is appropriate. I notice that parents are reactive to their children. Proactive parents teach their children and have them practice doing it right. Proactive parents understand the difference between a childish mistake and a rebellious choice. Proactive parents model good speech and behavior for their children. Proactive parents ask, "Do I want my child to say or do things the way I say or do them?"

[69360]

Depends on the age of the kid and the situation. A smack on the butt to stop an out of control 2 year old is one thing, beating a teenage with a belt is another.