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Today's Poll: Is it appropriate to punish a child with a switch?

By Howard B. Owens
Marc Staley

Rarely ever comment....but can't pass this one up.

It's amazing to me that over a third of responders find it acceptable to beat their children with a switch, a belt, a hand....whatever! Beating your children is nothing other than an admission on your part that you DO NOT have the tools or skill set to be a parent. Period! You cannot beat a child into acting right. Child assault is a horrific stain worldwide that is routed almost exclusively in ignorance and substance abuse. It is something that is passed down from generation to generation. Contrary to Charles Barkley, Mike Ditka, and other sports stars who claim otherwise, the VAST MAJORITY of children who are abused grow up to be abusers themselves (not stars). They learn that this is an acceptable form of conflict resolution and therefore repeat the crime on their own children (and spouses).
Can you imagine any greater betrayal than to be physically abused and beaten by the people that you need and love the most? You parents! Imagine the confusion. Think about the real lesson they learn. The only thing they really learn is that they are not safe anywhere. You have NO MORE right to beat your children than you do a complete stranger on the street. If it's assault on the street, it's assault in the home!

Rise up. Break the cycle, and set your family free from this generational crime once and for all! Here's a great site to visit for all of you who think beating your kids is "good for them".... "they need it"...... "It's your right"...... "Just making them better people". It's NOT good of them, they don't need it, you don't have the right, and you are NOT making them better people! These stats are sobering. http://www.childhelp.org/pages/statistics/

Sep 16, 2014, 3:28pm Permalink
Kyle Couchman

I saw that little leap too Ed. I dislike preachy people that try to overstate a situation to make a point. Should a parent be able to use corpral punishment? Yes I think they should but there is a difference between punishment and abuse. Its a tool. not a failure of control. A hammer is a tool, if used correctly it'll drive a nail. However if you use a hammer to drive a screw, or to cut a log, then you are abusing that tool.

This not punishing kids and giving in to their every need is what has produced this generation's entitled children into expecting everything to go their way. Once out of school and college they have almost no coping skills for the REAL world.

Sep 17, 2014, 12:57am Permalink
Marc Staley

@ED If you think that punishing your child with a switch is not beating them, then you obviously have a different definition of what beating a child is? And it's a minority extreme position. Yep. Just checked again. Still extreme.

@Kyle It's so funny to me that telling folks to STOP assaulting their children is PREACHY. There are plenty of ways to punish your children WITHOUT physically abusing them and striking them. Corporal punishment by parents has pretty much been dismissed as a terrible idea by all child advocacy groups worldwide. It's not a parenting tool. Anymore than betting your wife, your pet, or your employees is a tool. Lastly, you are more guilty of your own assertion of me. Jumping to the extreme of "not punishing your child and giving in to their every whim" is the ultimate extreme jump from Beating them with a switch. I would not advocate for giving in just a vehemently as I will for not assaulting them. The answer to effective parenting lies in the middle. If you can't think of a way to punish your child and discipline them without a switch, a belt, or striking them to make a point.... You are a awful parent and you are an abuser!

Sep 17, 2014, 7:55am Permalink
Frank Bartholomew

The problem has always been that some parents don't know the difference between a spanking and a beating. Speaking from exp., there is nothing more fearful to a child than to see their parents coming after them with a weapon.
You want to punish them, take away their electronic devices for a period of time, put them in time out, send them to their room, add some chores for a week, anything but
the sadistical choice of striking them with hand or weapon.

Sep 17, 2014, 5:41pm Permalink
Ed Hartgrove

Sorry, Marc, but I stand by my first comment. It wasn't me who brought up the words beating, abuse or assault. Those are your words.

And, you have no way of knowing how I think about any of this, as I never stated what my position was.

Sep 17, 2014, 9:08pm Permalink

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