Corporal Punishment in Grade School

[Howedar]

Corporal punishment should be reserved for extreme cases, but it is appropriate in some situations.

[Sir Sirius]

Granted, but studies always assume for the general masses. Being individuals means that what works on one person may not work on the other. Eg: Timmy might respond well to being spanked for breaking the TV, but Jimmy may just develope a deep seeded hatred for authority.

Special Pleasing fallacy.
Well, Ok. You are partly correct, but since there are methods of discipline other then spanking, why risk it with the Jimmys of this world?

Not at all. But, taking away a parents right to determine the best way to raise their kid isn't the answer.

But it has been shown that spanking is not the best way to raise children, so I do think that it is the answer.

I didn't say this. You misquoted.

Hethrir said it, I accidentaly attributed it to you. Sorry, my bad.

[TheFeniX]

Granted, but studies always assume for the general masses. Being individuals means that what works on one person may not work on the other. Eg: Timmy might respond well to being spanked for breaking the TV, but Jimmy may just develope a deep seeded hatred for authority.

Special Pleasing fallacy.
Well, Ok. You are partly correct, but since there are methods of discipline other then spanking, why risk it with the Jimmys of this world?

Because there's no panacea for the situation. It's up to the parent to judge whether it's working or not. For me it worked, but for my brother it didn't. He just doesn't have the drive to quit screwing around. I can't blame my parents for trying, because it was the best they knew how to do.

I'm not trying to say that corporal punishment is for every family, but the decision should be up to the parent, not the government. So long as the child doesn't suffer any permanent damage is it anyone's business how someone disiplines their kids?

In no way do I believe that physical disipline should be the first action when a kid is mis-behaving. First off, it's associating violence with punishment (I believe this can lead to guys who hit women and other bad behavior: personal opinion only) and it dilutes the effect of the punishment.

If you save it for the last resort, the kids (depending) know they really screwed up. When my brother yells at his kids to keep them quite they'll ignore him because he does it all the time. But when I do it, they immediately shut up because I'm the "fun uncle" and never tell them to be quiet.

Ok, now I'm rambling. Moving on...

Not at all. But, taking away a parents right to determine the best way to raise their kid isn't the answer.

But it has been shown that spanking is not the best way to raise children, so I do think that it is the answer.

Is there an answer? Reason with the child? Reward them for good behavior? Send them to their room?

Great ideas, but they won't work for all the children, so why take the corporal punishment option away completely?

FYI: I am biased against physcological studies, so this greatly weakens my arguement. Just letting you know, I don't trust them because you can interpret behavior anyway you want. I've watched and read enough about conflicting psychologists to distrust them right off the bat. And I still haven't had a chance to read your posted article more thoroughly. Laying rules on the human psychy is tricky business.

I didn't say this. You misquoted.

Hethrir said it, I accidentaly attributed it to you. Sorry, my bad.

No problem, I was just digging through my post and was like "Where the Hell did I say that." Hehe.

[CrimsonRaine]

Inspired by a poll seen on the Fox News website, I offer this poll. For the purposes of this poll, "grade school," refers to K through 12th grades (US).

"Corporal punishment" has the connotation of something much worse than your necessary spanking. First and foremost, those who think that children should never be smacked really should stop a moment and actually think about what they are saying. Children are bastards, no matter how well you raised them, and good lord, I am the epitome of that statement. Giving them a time-out, or simply yelling at them (although, at times, can be sufficient) is always enough. Spanking is not something for embarassment or belittling; it's simple conditioning.

There is a degree of punishment for children, and they are used according to the crime. A bad report card, something that will take time to fix, results in a punishment that will take time to end. Telling your mother to go fuck her snatch, however, deserves a clean crack across the face. It is teaching the child in their mind: "No. This is what you don't do." As my parents did, when a child is punished, it should be explained why they received the punishment and detailed why what they did was wrong.

There is a very fine line between good parenting and bad parenting. And, to the chagrin of all these 'how-to-raise your kids' writers, no one has it down to a perfect science. Each child is different: they differenciate in interests and lean towards different ideals and behaviors. So it's improbable to say: "This method is always right, never fails, no questions asked."

Now, I feel parents have the right to punish their children, but only they have that right. A child's parent knows how to handle them, knows them better than they know themselves. A teacher does not. A teacher should punish their own children, not their students. In regard to spankings, teachers have no right to punish children that are clearly not their own. They are there to teach; detentions, parent-teacher conferences and suspensions are their methods of punishment.

Crimson Raine

[Knife]

Spanking is no more effective that other methods and has negative consequences which the other methods lack, therefor spanking, by comparison, is not a very good method. Simple, yes?

No, because I am not sure what negitive consequences you would be speaking of. Most negitive feed back to punishment is there reguardless of what type of punishment is given. I was just as resentful at my parents when they grounded me than when they swatted my ass.

How so?

Again, kids are just as pissed when they are punished with lack of privelages and the such as when they get a smack. Like I said earlier, my kids would rather spend a minute 'holding up the wall' than being grounded or have their favorite toy taken away as a hostage. Different kids, different levels of stuff they hate as punishments. Thats subjective.

Appeal to tradition.

No. Examples of when negitive reinforcement works and has worked for large amounts of time in large populations. Good try though.

[ArmorPierce]

I am against coporal punishment but I think that parents should have that right even though my parents did give me welts with belts just about every other day from my mother because I was always getting into fights with my faggy brother and I was always the one that got punished since I won the fights. That didn't teach me shit except to fight back which I did and I eventually stopped getting beaten because I would fight back so I stopped getting beat when I was like 11. I still resent my mother becasue I think that the puishing I received was unjust but I just try not to think about it since it gets me angry and if I bring it up we end up arguing.

Anyway back to the subject. Exactly what would qualify a kid to get smacked what is the age range of kids applicable getting the spanking? I'm against whatever it is, I think that the only the parents have that right and also, I don't trust teachers to make the call.

[Gandalf]

When I was youger and acted up a bit, I got smacked. It was occasional at best, but still, I'm better for it.

[EmperorMing]

The religious school I went to for a while (SDA) had the permission of the parents to swat their kids. I found this out *one* time...

Overall, I prefer that the parents have the right to swat their kids when nessesary, not the grade school.

[Robert Treder]

My parents never hit me, and neither did my teachers. There are other ways of keeping children in line.

[StarshipTitanic]

What I tend to see are parents issuing idle threats without any chance of them being carried out. The kid isn't stupid, he knows that the threat will never be carried out so he keeps at it. But if he pushes too far, the parent will smack him. If you give a kid a REAL threat and carry it out, they'll listen to you without smacking him around.

[Vertigo1]

Should corperal punishment be banned? Hell no. However, the parents should have the option to have their children not be punished in such a manner.

If you ask me, it should be done alot more to some of these kids running around like wild animals in stores.... If someone ever bitches to me about me spanking my kid (if I have one), I'll politely invite him/her to kiss my ass.

[Sea Skimmer]

If you ask me, it should be done alot more to some of these kids running around like wild animals in stores....

Unfortunately the load of crap "child welfare" system that exists in America has caused many parents to have their lives ruined and children taken away for doing just that.