Page 72 - April Issue
P. 72
the new family | discipline
To spank
or not
to spank
When it comes to raising children,
nothing sends parents scurrying
to opposite corners faster than
the word spanking. Forget debates
about breast versus bottle or
working versus staying at home:
The issue of whether or not to
use physical punishment continues
to be one of the fiercest
conversations parents have.
mother, baby & child April 2011 The Debate National Survey of Early any corporal punishment that
Childhood Health other does not cause an injury, such
Your child is throwing the commonly used forms of as slapping a child’s hand for
temper tantrum of the century. discipline include taking away toys touching something forbidden or
Scratching, hitting, biting, or treats, yelling, using time out, dangerous.
spitting, and screaming-it can’t and giving explanations. Only 29
get much worse. What do you percent of the parents surveyed Why spanking isn’t the
do? For years, the country’s top had spanked a child under answer
medical and child-development three years of age. But in other
experts -- basing their opinions studies more than 90 percent Joan, a loving mother, sincerely
on decades of accumulated of American families report that believed that spanking was a
research -- have urged parents they have spanked their child at parental right and obligation
not to spank. The American some point. On one side of the needed to turn out an obedient
Academy of Pediatrics advises debate are parents who believe it child. She felt spanking was
against all spanking, and is all right to spank their children. “for the child’s own good.”
organisations as diverse as the On the other side are those who After several months of spank-
American Medical Association, think that children should never controlled discipline, her toddler
the American Bar Association, be spanked. Somewhere in the became withdrawn. She would
and the American Academy of middle are parents who believe notice him playing alone in
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry that spanking should only be used the corner, not interested in
are opposed to corporal in particular instances (e.g., when playmates, and avoiding eye
punishment in schools. Most the child runs into the street). contact with her. He had lost his
child development professionals Part of the reason for the debate previous sparkle. He didn’t feel
agree that spanking is ineffective is that parents and experts often right and he didn’t act right.
and may lead to more aggressive define spanking differently. To Spanking made him feel smaller
behaviour. But many individuals some, spanking means “slapping and weaker, overpowered by
and groups support or encourage a child on the buttocks” (Straus, people bigger than him. It’s
spanking as part of a disciplinary 1995, p. 5), while others consider no wonder that The American
approach for children. spanking a generic term for Academy of Pediatrics cautions
parents not to slap, hit or spank
According to the 2000
72
