Is smacking a child ever acceptable? (2 Viewers)

[David Spade]

yeah i saved the article and will post l8r

 

[Otacon2009]

I work at Woolworths on the checkouts as my way to pay my HECS as I go, so I see and hear screaming kids pretty much every time after 3pm on a weekday.

On the one hand, parents should be allowed to smack children. If they do something that they would normally be charged by the police but can't because they are too young, then a smacking would be the normal punishment. Time outs etc wouldn't reflect the severity of the crime if it was something like throwing rocks or assualt.

However, parents shouldn't be smacking their children for simply crying too much or being sulky. Yes, hearing so many kids scream at the one time has pushed me close on several occasions to yell at the parents to shut their kids up. However, the thing is, because the parents aren't giving into their demands, eventually the kids learn that crying over something will not mean that the parents will give in. It is a horrific sight seeing parents smack their kids in public. I'll never foget one time I was in the freezer section and this mother backfisted the child not for punishment, but by the look on her face that she was doing it in anger. This thing parents say that "I was hit when I was younger and I turned out fine" is in my view saying "I was hit when I was younger and I want to experience the sadistic practice on my own children".

I also draw the supporters of smacking attention to George Orwell's 1984. 1984 is the book people use whenever they want to compare their liberities being eroded by the government. If anyone hasn't read the book, look to the next paragraph now (Doing the spoilers box would ruin the flow of the argument). In Part 3, it is shown that as part of Winston's "curing", he is repeatedly tortured and beaten as a way of removing any thoughts that go against the principles of Ingsoc. As the part progresses, the results of the beatings and torturing make Winston genuinely believe he has committed more crimes than openly express the desire to plot the downfall of Ingsoc and Big Brother. He confesses to more crimes than he has committed and after the "rehabilitation", he is simply a mindless drone supporter of Ingsoc. So, for anyone who would like to compare the erosion of the ability to smack their children to 1984, how about comparing the beatings required to "cure" one in the book? Smacking a child is almost like beating someone up in 1984 simply because one broke a rule.

I fail to see smacking children as a one fits all approach to disciplining them. I heard that towards the end of the cane in schools, it became a competition to see who could get the most strokes of the cane. The cane is a symbol of the past alongside the stocks and the death penalty. People are still going to commit crimes. Little Johnny is still going to throw rocks at the cars. We can still discipline them, however isn't it time that we look at the cause of why people commit these crimes rather than be reactive and just beat them to a pulp?

 

[The Huntster]

only in self defense

yup, so when a kid runs at their parents trying to stab them with a knife, thats when its acceptable....

 

[57o1i]

This probably isn't going to be as coherent as I'd like it to be because, let's face it, I'm only on here because I'm trying to procrastinate out of English study, but ...

The biggest problem that I have with smacking is that it usually occurs because a parent has lost control of the situation and is trying to retain their power through physical force. To me a smack in a shopping centre is less about discipline than it is about the parent's sheer frustration and their inability to cope with what must be a very stressful situation. So that's why I'm not overly keen on it.

However I don't think that smacking is completely unacceptable. Let's face it, small children are not great with logical reasoning. Parents - no matter how much time or patience they have - are not necessarily going to be able to negotiate with their kids 100% of the time. And this is where I think that a smack (note: not a bashing with a wooden spoon) might be acceptable, if it is accompanied by an explanation from the parent as to why it's taking place. That way the kid links the two together and has something to remember for next time.


I do think that other consequences (I prefer the term over "punishments" as it instils an appreciation of cause -> effect) such as time-outs are generally more effective. But on the other hand there are kids (and I know because I was one) for whom a time-out or the confiscation of toys is no lesson at all (I had a very over-active imagination and used all the free time to telepathically communicate with my imaginary friends ^-^). I know there's been a hefty backlash on here against people saying that "I was smacked as a kid and I turned out fine" but I'm going out on a limb and saying that no, my childhood development was not irrevocably stunted by receiving the occasional smack from my parents.

 

[scarybunny]

Beat em with a sack of sweet valencia oranges. It won't leave a bruise and it'll let em know who's boss.

 

[will-anal]

Your kid goes to touch a hot object or run out in the middle of the road.

Oddly enough, "No Jimmy don't do that!!!' isn't quite as effective as smacking them on the hand and admonishing them, not at a young age anyway.

Itt: People with no idea about kids talk about stuff they don't understand

 

[ay0_x]

Your kid goes to touch a hot object or run out in the middle of the road.

Oddly enough, "No Jimmy don't do that!!!' isn't quite as effective as smacking them on the hand and admonishing them, not at a young age anyway.

Itt: People with no idea about kids talk about stuff they don't understand

1/ kid goes to touch a hot object, they get burned and will NEVER DO IT AGAIN.

2/ watch your fucking kids you fucking lazy piece of shit excuse for a parent.

YOU are clearly the one who has no idea about kids. Kids learn quickly. Best way to keep a kid away from fire is let them experience it first hand. Best way to keep a kid off the road is MIND YOUR FUCKING CHILD.

 

[will-anal]

1/ kid goes to touch a hot object, they get burned and will NEVER DO IT AGAIN.

2/ watch your fucking kids you fucking lazy piece of shit excuse for a parent.

YOU are clearly the one who has no idea about kids. Kids learn quickly. Best way to keep a kid away from fire is let them experience it first hand. Best way to keep a kid off the road is MIND YOUR FUCKING CHILD.

Yeah because allowing a kid to get burnt is totally more responsible and less traumatising than smacking them on the hanld you dolt.

I won't respond to the rest of your post because you clearly have no idea about anything at the best of times, let alone child rearing.

 

[CountVonChocula]

some of the best times of my life are when i've smacking my kids

 

[will-anal]

I really, like come on. Unless you're belting your kid around the head or beating them with an object with such force it bruises, smacking is not going to lead to long term post traumatic stress disorder.

You're all morons.

 

[ay0_x]

Yeah because allowing a kid to get burnt is totally more responsible and less traumatising than smacking them on the hanld you dolt.

I won't respond to the rest of your post because you clearly have no idea about anything at the best of times, let alone child rearing.

Or because you have no argument.

A kid will snatch its hand away from the fire as soon as they feel pain, unless they have some sort of sensory anomaly. A burnt finger never killed anybody. I would rather my kids be "Traumatised" and hate the stove than be "traumatised" and hate me.

Smacking is the sign of a lazy, inefficient and mentally fucked up parent.

 

[will-anal]

Or because you have no argument.

A kid will snatch its hand away from the fire as soon as they feel pain, unless they have some sort of sensory anomaly. A burnt finger never killed anybody. I would rather my kids be "Traumatised" and hate the stove than be "traumatised" and hate me.

Smacking is the sign of a lazy, inefficient and mentally fucked up parent.

Holy fuck you're insane.

Smacking is the sign of a lazy, inefficient and mentally fucked up parent.

[Citation needed]

 

[ay0_x]

Holy fuck you're insane.



[Citation needed]

Love how you don't actually present an argument.

No citation is needed because if you can bring yourself to physically harm a child, you need help.

like I said, hope your sons grow up big n strong and beat the fuck out of you mate.

 

[yer8899]

Or because you have no argument.

A kid will snatch its hand away from the fire as soon as they feel pain, unless they have some sort of sensory anomaly. A burnt finger never killed anybody. I would rather my kids be "Traumatised" and hate the stove than be "traumatised" and hate me.

Smacking is the sign of a lazy, inefficient and mentally fucked up parent.

reminded me of this:

[youtube]B-lsYn1t5s0[/youtube]

 

[Omie Jay]

ayo aya, some kids just need a smackin.

have you seen kids at shopping centres when they just scream their ugly red teary faces off?

just.. just.. WHACK!

 

[ay0_x]

ayo aya, some kids just need a smackin.

have you seen kids at shopping centres when they just scream their ugly red teary faces off?

just.. just.. WHACK!

They grow out of it. People know what their kids are like. If they can't handle a social situation such as being at a shopping centre, leave the kids at home. Do your shopping online.

I'm sure as a stranger your desire for them to be whacked is more of a psychological reason to inflict pain on your source of frustration/annoyance, than a genuine desire for the kid to "learn what is right". Humans are sadistic creatures.

Smacking does not work. There are kids who will get used to the feeling (pretty fucked), and there's kids who'll be traumatised by it (pretty fucked).

 

[Omie Jay]

and that is why i never want babbies =]

 

[will-anal]

Love how you don't actually present an argument.

No citation is needed because if you can bring yourself to physically harm a child, you need help.

like I said, hope your sons grow up big n strong and beat the fuck out of you mate.

For whatever reason, be it an intellectual disability, you seem to equate 'smacking' with physical harm. Physical harm, imo, would imply long lasting physical marks; bruises, cuts, breaks; all symptoms consistent with a good hardy case of child bashing, not smacking.

Given you obviously have no idea about the intricacies of child rearing, including the comprehension level and behavioural changes associated with children 0-5, it's a given that I am wasting my time arguing with you, but you clearly won't shut up until I do so.

For starters, let's look at the first of a series of non facts in your argument. Firstly, the idea that smacking will result in long term mental trauma resulting in a predisposition to violence in later ages (and according to you a great disdain of ones parents). Citation needed. According to you, a predisposition to violence of any sort is a direct result of having been smacked at least once during child hood. Again, I'm not sure whether you're suggesting an open handed smack on the bottom or hand is responsible for this or whether you confuse smacking for bashing with an iron pot.

Secondly, the argument that all parents who smack are lazy, inefficient and mentally fucked. I'm sorry, I wasn't aware you had psychiatric qualifications, where did you get those from again? Given that a large proportion of Australian parents have probably smacked their child/children at least once, you're blatantly accusing all parents of being lazy, inefficient and mentally fucked. I find this particularly hilarious given your previous experience in parenting, i.e. none.

Thirdly, this puzzling idea that allowing a child to be BURNT. FUCKING BURNT. 1200 children are admitted to hospital every year with scalds. And you're sitting here telling me that it is better to let a child BURN ITSELF than it is to smack the child on the hand before it makes contact. Are you fucking kidding me?

I can't even be fucked with you. I'll address Graney later because at least he has some valid points. Yours just consists of a lot of baseless shit about mental and physical abuse, all coming from somebody with ZERO experience in rearing a child.

 

[John McCain]

Plenty of people have raised children without ever laying a hand on them. It's not a naive aspiration at all.

Your kid goes to touch a hot object or run out in the middle of the road.

Oddly enough, "No Jimmy don't do that!!!' isn't quite as effective as smacking them on the hand and admonishing them, not at a young age anyway.

Itt: People with no idea about kids talk about stuff they don't understand

I like to leave my young children near open flames.

If a child is too small to understand logic and recognise danger, they're small enough to physically move away from danger.

ayo aya, some kids just need a smackin.

have you seen kids at shopping centres when they just scream their ugly red teary faces off?

just.. just.. WHACK!

You know those guys you went to school with who were cunts to you? You don't think any of their fathers ever hit them in their lives?

You can discipline children in so many other ways, why use violence?

 

[Omie Jay]

yes but a little smack once in a while's not gonna hurt.