"Spanking babies is surprisingly common, U.S. study finds"

[Skwim]

The same hands that parents use to lovingly feed, clothe and bathe their babies are also commonly used to spank their bundles of joy. A new study found that 30 percent of 1-year-old children were spanked at least once in the past month by their mother, father or both parents. A long-time topic of debate, spanking children is a common practice among U.S. parents.

A long-time topic of debate, spanking children is a common practice among U.S. parents. Previous research has focused on disciplining children as young as age 3, in part, because spanking is common among children of this age. Studies have shown that spanking is related to children's greater aggression, depression and other negative behavior.

But the latest findings show that spanking is used on children who are so young that, in some cases, they haven't even taken their first step.
source

​

Thoughts?

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

That's sickening!

 

[technomage]

Yes, we spanked our kids--but definitely not that young.

 

[Twilight Hue]

First thing doc does is spank the baby. ;0)

Honestly one or two bops on the bottom is not something nefarious nor harmful. People tend to blow things waaayy out of proportion and context today. Theres a difference between controlled corporal punishment and outright abuse. I do agree however a parent should wait on spanking until the child is old enough to walk and starts learning right from wrong.

 

[DeepShadow]

That's terrible. With all the other tools we have available, there is just no excuse. These parents need to learn better parenting skills.

 

[Sunstone]

What jerk would spank an infant?

 

[Sunstone]

First thing doc does is spank the baby. ;0)

Honestly one or two bops on the bottom is not something nefarious nor harmful. People tend to blow things waaayy out of proportion and context today. Theres a difference between controlled corporal punishment and outright abuse. I do agree however a parent should wait on spanking until the child is old enough to walk and starts learning right from wrong.

Get back to us after you've read the science on spanking. You're just a fountain of ignorance.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

First thing doc does is spank the baby. ;0)

I wasn't spanked when I was born. Wasn't crying, either. From what my mom tells me, I was pretty calm.

 

[DeepShadow]

Honestly one or two bops on the bottom is not something nefarious nor harmful.

Agreed.

People tend to blow things waaayy out of proportion and context today.

Agreed.

Theres a difference between controlled corporal punishment and outright abuse.

Agreed.

I do agree however a parent should wait on spanking until the child is old enough to walk and starts learning right from wrong.

Yeah, but that's what this is really about, though: these parents were not waiting for either. Also, at what age would you say a child learns right from wrong?

 

[Debater Slayer]

That is absolutely pitiful.

 

[CynthiaCypher]

What jerk would spank an infant?

Probably the same kind of jerk who would shake an infant.

 

[technomage]

My preferred method of "discipline" for a child that young is distraction. I started growing out a goatee when my youngest was a baby--if he got fussy or cranky, I'd get him up and play with him, and tickle him with my whiskers.

 

[dawny0826]

The same hands that parents use to lovingly feed, clothe and bathe their babies are also commonly used to spank their bundles of joy. A new study found that 30 percent of 1-year-old children were spanked at least once in the past month by their mother, father or both parents. A long-time topic of debate, spanking children is a common practice among U.S. parents.

A long-time topic of debate, spanking children is a common practice among U.S. parents. Previous research has focused on disciplining children as young as age 3, in part, because spanking is common among children of this age. Studies have shown that spanking is related to children's greater aggression, depression and other negative behavior.

But the latest findings show that spanking is used on children who are so young that, in some cases, they haven't even taken their first step.
source

​

Thoughts?

It appears that majority of us have common sense as the studies suggest that approximately 70% aren't spanking their children at such a young age.

I can't comprehend spanking a child that young. Too young to understand why they are being punished.

I agree with this from the article:

Their research is a snapshot of a larger problem: many people lack parenting skills that include alternatives to spanking.

Children do require direction, guidance and sometimes discipline from their parents. The "rod" doesn't have to come in the form of a spanking. With this said, I don't take issue with the level headed parent who opts for spanking, if they deem it the best form of discipline given the circumstances. Mind you, in this context, I'm referring to spanking, not a beating or abusive situation where a parent hits a child out of anger or does so with intention to hurt and without any valuable lesson or discussion attached.

 

[Breathe]

The reasoning behind this that I've heard is that it's "the only thing that young babies understand as an effective form of discipline because they're too young to reason with it otherwise". Not to say I agree with it before anyone gets their panties in a bunch, but I don't like hugboxes.

 

[bobhikes]

Nobody trains you to be a parent. No one requires you to take a class on parenting. Parenting classes are not taught in school. It would be a great addition to sexual education courses.

I'm surprised the percentage is so low.

 

[DeepShadow]

The reasoning behind this that I've heard is that it's "the only thing that young babies understand as an effective form of discipline because they're too young to reason with it otherwise". Not to say I agree with it before anyone gets their panties in a bunch, but I don't like hugboxes.

It's true that behavior shaping in young children must be done without attempting to appeal to their reason--Thomas Phelan calls this the "Little Adult" mistake, that we assume children reason the same way adults do.

Unfortunately, we know that this ability to reason emerges very slowly over the next eighteen years. If the only alternative to reasoning is spanking, then we should expect parents to spank children for every infraction before the age of ten, when they start to develop metacognition and abstract thinking.

Moreover, the assumption that an infant can infer cause and effect from spanking is flawed. Based on what we know of infant learning, they are more likely to associate their pain with the physical circumstances--such as the proximity of the parent--than with their own behavior.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Get back to us after you've read the science on spanking. You're just a fountain of ignorance.

It's not conclusive. The debate is not over on the issue. Most recommend alternatives, but not every Psychologist agrees like Psychologist Robert E. Larzelere of Oklahoma State University, as to whither spanking should be discouraged or encouraged until more research is conducted and conclusions are better determined.

Should Parents Spank Their Kids? - Scientific American

In the meantime I see nothing admiss with corporal punishment used in a controlled manner that disciplines without real harm. We are an obsessed and overprotective generation, and the society we produce will be telling through reluctance of using moderate physical disciplinary measures. Loving parents can spank and not hurt childern as many have done in the past.

I don't know how old you are, but corporal punishment was commonplace and even accepted in child rearing and offers a healthy physical venue in learning about physical consequences for your actions.
Better a spanking early on, and learn that real tangible consequences actually exist now rather than a tazing and beating by police later on. It's not ignorance to see that we still are a society based upon usage of physical force where initial lessons are implemented early on to instill that. But you can and feel free to expose my continued ignorance on the matter if you wish.

 

[Breathe]

...

Shouldn't research be done into the reasons why people smack their kids, and address that?
This is something that little effort seems to be put into.

People don't rationalize when angry, and people don't frequently know any other way than with aggression.

Parenting classes should be compulsory. When my wife was pregnant, we went to (optional) parental classes. Disciplining, something which is an essential subject, was not brought up. It was just things like how to change a nappy.

What else are some people going to do if they don't know any different?

Simply shaming it and calling it disgusting just means that people will be ashamed to admit it: it will still happen, and nothing will be done about it because it will be an ignored subject that people can't bring up, which means cases of abuse can, and probably will, increase.

This is something people in this thread are overlooking.

 

[dawny0826]

Shouldn't research be done into the reasons why people smack their kids, and address that?
This is something that little effort seems to be put into.

People don't rationalize when angry, and people don't frequently know any other way than with aggression.

Parenting classes should be compulsory. When my wife was pregnant, we went to (optional) parental classes. Disciplining, something which is an essential subject, was not brought up. It was just things like how to change a nappy.

What else are some people going to do if they don't know any different?

Simply shaming it and calling it disgusting just means that people will be ashamed to admit it: it will still happen, and nothing will be done about it because it will be an ignored subject that people can't bring up, which means cases of abuse can, and probably will, increase.

This is something people in this thread are overlooking.

I think you raise good points, here.

I did notice that the article did not define "spanking" either. Some translate spanking to abusive beatings and refuse to see it as anything else. I'm sure most of us here wouldn't agree that beating an infant could yield any benefits.

So, what are these 30% doing, exactly and within what context?

 

[Breathe]

I think you raise good points, here.

I did notice that the article did not define "spanking" either. Some translate spanking to abusive beatings and refuse to see it as anything else. I'm sure most of us here wouldn't agree that beating an infant could yield any benefits.

So, what are these 30% doing, exactly and within what context?

Thanks, dawny.

You raise another good point; what is defined as spanking can vary between people's interpretations, and it seems to be a very fine line between discipline and outright abuse, but it's not something they are aware of at the time.

As I donate some free time to assisting in a local school's management in an economically deprived area, I've known of some cases where forms of alternative (i.e., non-corporal) forms of discipline that have been downright cruel. One of them was '(under)pants-down in the corner time'. Another one I've known is what the mother called 'feisty go hungry': if her son was naughty, she'd not give him anything to eat for 24 hours. I **** you not.

Surprisingly, it was considered by both mothers to not be abusive, because smacking was abuse, and this wasn't.