Corporal punishment of children - a greater threat to society than thought?

[Hàkon]

A few months ago, I made a thread in which I asked for your take on alcohol and drug consumption during pregnancy, and whether it should be criminalized. Unsurprisingly, the majority voted against such untimely use of said substances, pointing to the risks involved - and above all, the potential shared social cost.


Now, keeping in mind the above mentioned main argument for the criminalization of drug and alcohol consumption during pregnancy, what about corporal punishment of children?

While it seems that the severity is still under debate, it is a confirmed fact that corporal punishment during childhood has a long list of adverse developmental, behavioural, and health-related consequences, meaning that every spanking parent is, in one way or another, subjecting society to a future problem.


Pretty flower.

So, who are the main culprits? Well, parents, and other close family members. But the significant age interval during which the exposure to corporal punishment poses as the greatest threat to a child's development is 0-10 years, a time during which the main offenders are, lo and behold, women. How come? While interesting in itself, it's a topic to be discussed on it's own.

Anyway, considering the above, would it then surprise you that corporal punishment as a disciplinary method is more frequently used in the household of single mothers? Of course not. Parenting being stressful on its own, single parenthood is, most often, even greater a plight.

In the U.S., studies of the prevalence of corporal punishment show that members of the Black community, the community also worst plagued by single motherhood, hold more positive attitudes towards corporal punishment as well as apply it to a (much) greater extent in their parenting.

Wait, what?

The most crime- and poverty-ridden community in the U.S. is also the community in which single motherhood and corporal punishment of children is the most widespread? Is it just me on LSD or are you seeing a pattern as well?

Discuss.

(I am not trying to single out the U.S. Black community, in this case it's simply the best studied and the clearest example to use - the potential consequences of corporal punishment apply to all.)

[altin]

While I'm not pro corporal punishment of children by their parents, I'm not sure whether the application of law can improve the situation in this case. So let's say a stressed parent gave his/her kid a couple of slaps, the kid denounces the parent and a judge punishes him/her with some prison time. What kind of relations will have the parents with their kids afterwards?
We move from a situation where kids were afraid from their parents in a situation where parents are afraid from their kids. But parents have at the very least more life experience and generally are more responsible than kids.

[Linebacker]

Here Corporal punishment exists only in the army.

Police do it too but its not legal,they just know they get away with it,and why not,some crooks deserve a good ass beating.

[LightHouse89]

Not if they committed murder.

[LightHouse89]

I am pro Capital Punishment.

[Meina]

I understand my opinion may be unpopular, but as the main disciplinarian in our household, I refuse to use corporal punishment. I believe that children learn what they live. I have encountered many children as well as my own and I have never met a bad child, an overwhelmed and unguided child perhaps, but not a bad one.

That being said, a child needs to be 100% able to predict the consequences of their actions. There is no grey area. Parenting with a strong moral character, being example you wish to see in your child and parenting through meaningful lessons is fully adequate.

For example, a younger child--under six--who misbehaves, these children do well with explanation through empathy. I know it sounds wimpy, but I have cared for many children in my home and I have yet to fail to turn around a small child with empathy lessons. So many young children are literally confused. We have too much junk, too much clutter, too many electronics, too many scheduled events, too much of everything. Unacceptable behavior is more often than not immediately corrected with simplification and routine.

As for older children, punishment usually needs more hands on. Volunteering with a parent, chores, and opportunities for improvement of self-image (seriously a lot of kids will act out over poor self image and insecurity).

Telling a kid how great they are and that they're loved, choosing to embrace them rather than hit will go a long way.

Again, I'm aware that it's unpopular. I'm just stating what has worked in my experience.