Is Spanking Children immoral to you?

[The Sum of Awe]

If a kid misbehaves do you believe it's okay to spank them?

Reminisce I say spank not shoot Seems like quite a few got that confused when I asked that on yahoo answers.

 

[Sleeppy]

Within certain parameters. It's always better to avoid it if possible.

 

[blackout]

If you wouldn't hit an adult,
you shouldn't hit a child.

If an adult could take you to court over it,
assault, whatever,
why should a child be subject to the same violation,
simply because they are a child?

 

[elmarna]

For the most part - spanking is not a way to get children to understand what they did wrong.
It is a way to let them understand you are upset or angry and you want them to share in those feelings!!!

 

[idav]

A bit outdated. Just ask what would dr phil do.

 

[ChristineES]

I think Vi said it well. Why on earth would you do to kids what you would get thrown in jail for doing to adults? Some parents spank with belts, wooden spoons, switches from trees, fly swatters and anything else they can get their hands on. If you do that to an adult, you would go to jail.

 

[Sunstone]

There is some science on this issue, and what there is indicates that spanking causes more behavioral problems than it solves.

 

[CynthiaCypher]

Well sometimes it is. A one time swat on the butt should be a message but a spanking no.

 

[CynthiaCypher]

If you wouldn't hit an adult,
you shouldn't hit a child.

If an adult could take you to court over it,
assault, whatever,
why should a child be subject to the same violation,
simply because they are a child?

Because sometimes children don't know better and can be very willful and need to know their limits.

 

[beenie]

Because sometimes children don't know better and can be very willful and need to know their limits.

I'm a mother of six daughters, ranging in age from 14 to 3.5. I have never had to swat, spank, etc. any of them. They know what their limits are through communication and approprivate discipline. There are many non-physical ways to get the point across. IMO.

 

[blackout]

Because sometimes children don't know better and can be very willful and need to know their limits.

yeah... well.... I have 4 extremely responsible children,
and spanking is a thing they have never known.

 

[Badran]

I have no personal experience in this, but my thoughts are simply that there is literally nothing, that i think spanking can teach, that other methods can not. And as such, i see no reason to do it. In addition to that, there are already some problems that it sometimes cause.

So generally, i think its not beneficial and should be avoided.

 

[arthra]

I was a Child Protective Services worker for several years and some cases of physical abuse on children were presented to me.. Usually they occurred because the parent lost control and went beyond mere "spanking" say and they left bruises and sometimes lacerations if a belt or coat hanger was used... Sometimes the child had to placed temporarily with a relative or if not available a shelter home... Usually attending parenting classes and supervised visits were part of the deal to return the child to the parents custody.

The problem as I see it is that if you say spanking is alright..to some that may mean using an object like a belt or a stick or a spoon .. and this inappropriate.

Some of the guidance suggested in the Baha'i Writings:

"Whensoever a mother seeth that her child hath done well, let her praise and applaud him and cheer his heart; and if the slightest undesirable trait should manifest itself, let her counsel the child and punish him, and use means based on reason, even a slight verbal chastisement should this be necessary. It is not, however, permissible to strike a child, or vilify him, for the child's character will be totally perverted if he be subjected to blows or verbal abuse."

~ Abdu'l-Baha, Selections from the Writings of Abdu'l-Baha, p. 125

 

[Quintessence]

There is some science on this issue, and what there is indicates that spanking causes more behavioral problems than it solves.

Exactly. I don't particularly care about the morality of it, I care about the impacts. Punishment doesn't teach children the correct behaviors and on top of that, endorses physical violence as a solution to problems. If this is what you want to be teaching your children, then more power to you. But our society is rather intolerant of those who use their physical power to get their way in the world.

 

[ankarali]

We must ask this question to somebody who have a child. It's always better to avoid but sometimes they make you crazy I have a child I never spank her but my wife she sometimes spank (to her haunch)

The children are the gift of the God and we have responsibilities we don't have permission to spank them as they are a gift of the God but for some cases we can softly spank their haunchs.

 

[Madhuri]

Do you really go to jail for smacking someone in the USA? That's a bit extreme!

 

[Pegg]

If a kid misbehaves do you believe it's okay to spank them?

Reminisce I say spank not shoot Seems like quite a few got that confused when I asked that on yahoo answers.

no, i dont.

But the degree, reason and extent of any punishment is what determines if it is morally culpable or not.

 

[Reverend Rick]

I never spanked my children, but always reserved the right to.

I have been in a restaurant and asked my children if we needed to go out to the car.

All children are different and you just need to find the right motivator. Kids have so many possessions they think they cannot live without, that works many times.

It has been my experience that the threat is greater than the consequence as a motivator.

Another way I found was when my daughter got a mouth on her when she was a tween, I put her allowance on the refrigerator in one dollar bills. Every time she ran her mouth, a dollar was removed. She caught on pretty quickly.

My wife started a cuss jar for me and that helped tremendously with a problem I had many years ago. :yes:

 

[Sunstone]

According to the best available science on the subject, spanking your kids can result in their adopting behaviors that will handicap them later on in life. For instance, people who were spanked as children grow up to earn less than people who were never spanked as children.

Do me and my relatives a favor -- be so stupid as to spank your kids. Spanking will make them less able to compete for the big bucks than my nephews. So spank away. I'll thank you, and my nephews will thank you.

 

[Sunstone]

Do you really go to jail for smacking someone in the USA? That's a bit extreme!

Yes, you can really go to jail.