Do you believe corporal punishment by parents is appropriate for children?

Yes: 61%
No: 39%

Almost 50/50!

Some people were probably so stupid, they thought CNN was talking about "capital punishment" a.k.a. the death penalty.

That means almost HALF of the well-educated, middle class Americans (the readership of CNN.com) believe in trying to reason with your 5 year old, keep them happy, etc. and in general do a poor job raising them.

This is why America is doomed. We've lost most of our grip on the NATURAL law -- we've gone NATURALLY insane -- as a country we were supernaturally insane a long time ago.

I deal with parents that use the bible to justify torture, starvation, and sɛҳuąƖ abuse of their children. They take spanking to the level of broken bones, nailed hands to floors, and forced imprisonment in dog cages. I can see why social services in my area would be leary of corporal punishment.

so Matthew, this country is done. As you have shown here

Many parents, I believe, are afraid to spank their kids because they are afraid social services will be called and their kids taken away. That has happened to many parents who were seen spanking their kids even lightly in public. Two different mothers I know had social services called on them when they took their child to the emergency room after an accidental fall and they were suspected of causing the injury. An investigation pursued. You can't even take your kid to the hospital if they fall and injure themselves without having to worry about social services being called on you.

In the south, ie coastal north Carolina, the level of punishment inflicted on children often rises to the level of torture. I see the often brutal results fist hand. It is not pretty.

People don't know the difference between spanking and whipping and beating.
What would be a prudent definition for Catholics?

A leather strap? A razor belt? A hickory switch? Leave welts? Leave bruises? Open skin?

Such a hard question.

I don't think its right for a parent to hit their child so hard as to ever leave any sort of real mark, apart from normal redness which comes from a spanking. Bruises on a child that easily bruieses is okay, but to have a 'goal' when spanking children as to how much 'damage' to leave is not the best goal. I think a child being spanked by their parents should be more humiliated/ashamed of the fact (at least I was) that they were receiving a spanking than the fact that there was pain.

The lesson should be in spanking that, yes there is some pain associated, but (subconsciously?) that you've done something so seriously wrong that your own parents, who you instinctively know would protect you from any harm, have recognized such a great error on your part, that they are obliged to now punish you in the 'worst' way (because, who likes to get spanked).

I think I can remember 2 types of reasons when my parents would spank me.

The first type of time would be when I did something which warranted an immediate correction; speaking back, using a bad word, and, now that I think about it, it would usually be something which I would do almost 'instinctively', or without much thought. The reaction/punishment which would follow, would be just as 'instinctive'/ immediately reactionary. I'd get a slap on the mouth/ cheek, a spank on the but with what ever was immediately available (a sandal/shoe would work if there was enough time), etc.

The second type of punishment would function very much in the same way as the first; it would have to relate to how thought out the 'crime' was. So, for example, getting a bad grade(s) was prime (because in America, you have to work at getting a bad grade).

Another example, was when I was about 11 years old, computers just started to become commonplace, and what was in, and I was trying to log on to "AOL". We wouldn't you know you needed a credit card, and my mom's purse was sitting right there. Yep- I did it- I put her credit card information in, and logged on for about 2 minutes, then was so scared, that I logged out and forgot about it for about 4 months. Apparently the end of that 4 months was about the time my mother recognized the charge on her credit card statement. She came home that day and was icy-cold mad. I was scared, because I thought everything was dandy! She said, "you wait till your father comes home." I was dead! I thought.

My dad came home, sat me in my room, explained what I'd done, how upset my parents were, then gave me about 5 good ones with the belt. And that's the point. Things like grades, and my scenario above, are more thought out than reactionary sins (like talking back, etc). When the punishment would come, it wouldn't just be a spanking- that would be useless. I would get an explanation of what I'd done wrong, why it was wrong, and why the punishment would fit (Spanking and someother type of punishment-which lasted longer- would be explained). I think that was a good method, and will probably do the same with my children.

Quote from: s2srea

Quote from: Darcy

People don't know the difference between spanking and whipping and beating.
What would be a prudent definition for Catholics?

A leather strap? A razor belt? A hickory switch? Leave welts? Leave bruises? Open skin?

Such a hard question.

I don't think its right for a parent to hit their child so hard as to ever leave any sort of real mark, apart from normal redness which comes from a spanking. Bruises on a child that easily bruieses is okay, but to have a 'goal' when spanking children as to how much 'damage' to leave is not the best goal. I think a child being spanked by their parents should be more humiliated/ashamed of the fact (at least I was) that they were receiving a spanking than the fact that there was pain.

The lesson should be in spanking that, yes there is some pain associated, but (subconsciously?) that you've done something so seriously wrong that your own parents, who you instinctively know would protect you from any harm, have recognized such a great error on your part, that they are obliged to now punish you in the 'worst' way (because, who likes to get spanked).

I think I can remember 2 types of reasons when my parents would spank me.

The first type of time would be when I did something which warranted an immediate correction; speaking back, using a bad word, and, now that I think about it, it would usually be something which I would do almost 'instinctively', or without much thought. The reaction/punishment which would follow, would be just as 'instinctive'/ immediately reactionary. I'd get a slap on the mouth/ cheek, a spank on the but with what ever was immediately available (a sandal/shoe would work if there was enough time), etc.

The second type of punishment would function very much in the same way as the first; it would have to relate to how thought out the 'crime' was. So, for example, getting a bad grade(s) was prime (because in America, you have to work at getting a bad grade).

Another example, was when I was about 11 years old, computers just started to become commonplace, and what was in, and I was trying to log on to "AOL". We wouldn't you know you needed a credit card, and my mom's purse was sitting right there. Yep- I did it- I put her credit card information in, and logged on for about 2 minutes, then was so scared, that I logged out and forgot about it for about 4 months. Apparently the end of that 4 months was about the time my mother recognized the charge on her credit card statement. She came home that day and was icy-cold mad. I was scared, because I thought everything was dandy! She said, "you wait till your father comes home." I was dead! I thought.

My dad came home, sat me in my room, explained what I'd done, how upset my parents were, then gave me about 5 good ones with the belt. And that's the point. Things like grades, and my scenario above, are more thought out than reactionary sins (like talking back, etc). When the punishment would come, it wouldn't just be a spanking- that would be useless. I would get an explanation of what I'd done wrong, why it was wrong, and why the punishment would fit (Spanking and someother type of punishment-which lasted longer- would be explained). I think that was a good method, and will probably do the same with my children.

If your father had just stopped at the explaination and did not give you five good ones, do you think you would have done the same thing again because you didn't get physically reprimanded so you  would have thought that you had gotten away with it?

No of course not. The talking to was plenty enough for you. The spanking was unnecessary.

There is evidence that the humiliation of spanking causes low self-esteem into adulthood. But I would say that that probability depends also on if the parents show more negative attention than positive attention to the child as well as the temperment of the child (which is inborn and unchangeable).

You respond well to reason even as a child.

Do you have children, Darcy and Rhea?   Well, I have 10, and they got the belt when they needed it.
 They are all responsible, well mannered hard working adults.

I'm not trying to say people are animals, but how do animals like dogs and horses turn out if they're never beaten or threatened at all?  Anyone have experience?