Only suitable for minors?:

Schoolchildrens' "spanking" related injuries (WARNING - These images may be deeply disturbing to some viewers. Do not open this page if children are present).
http://www.nospank.net/injuredkids.pdf

Reasonable and moderate? You decide.
(WARNING - This sound recording may be deeply disturbing to some listeners. Do not open this file if children are within listening range).
http://nospank.net/prj-006.wav


People used to think it was necessary to "spank" adult members of the community, college students, military trainees, and prisoners. In some countries they still do. In our country, it is considered sexual battery if a person over the age of 18 is "spanked", but only if over the age of 18.

For one thing, because the buttocks are so close to the anal region, sex organs, and so multiply linked to sexual nerve centers, striking them can trigger powerful and involuntary sexual stimulus in some people. There are numerous physiological ways in which it can be intentionally or unintentionally sexually abusive, but I won't list them all here. One can read the testimony, documentation, and educational resources available from the website of Parents and Teachers Against Violence In Education at www.nospank.net

Child bottom-battering vs. DISCIPLINE:

Child bottom-battering (euphemistically labeled "spanking","swatting","switching","smacking", "paddling",or other cute-sounding names) for the purpose of gaining compliance is nothing more than an inherited bad habit.

Its a good idea for people to take a look at what they are doing, and learn how to DISCIPLINE instead of hit.

There are several reasons why child bottom-battering isn't a good idea. Here are some good, quick reads recommended by professionals:

Plain Talk About Spanking
by Jordan Riak
http://www.nospank.net/pt2010.pdf

The Sexual Dangers of Spanking Children
by Tom Johnson
http://nospank.net/sdsc2.pdf

NO VITAL ORGANS THERE, So They Say
by Lesli Taylor MD and Adah Maurer PhD
http://nospank.net/taylor.htm

Just a handful of those helping to raise awareness of why child bottom-battering isn't a good idea:

American Academy of Pediatrics,
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry,
American Psychological Association,
Center For Effective Discipline,
Churches' Network For Non-Violence,
Nobel Peace Prize recipient Archbishop Desmond Tutu,
Parenting In Jesus' Footsteps,
Global Initiative To End All Corporal Punishment of Children,
United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child.

In 31 nations, child corporal punishment is prohibited by law (with more in process). In fact, the US was the only UN member that did not ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The US also has the highest incarceration rate in the world.

The US states with the highest crime rates and the poorest academic performance are also the ones with the highest rates of child corporal punishment.

There is simply no evidence to suggest that child bottom-battering instills virtue.

MMead;595867 wrote:There is simply no evidence to suggest that child bottom-battering instills virtue.

Me and my siblings turned out alright. All the evidence I need.

Don't get me wrong, that video was awful, but mainly because of the way the mother talked to the kid and seemed to have no compassion. If we're talking strictly about punishments, I don't see how a cold shower is much worse than striking your kid on their ass. Both cause temporary discomfort and are intentionally humiliating.

A cold shower can send the child into shock. I don't think you are going to do that by spanking a child.

And too, with a child's digestive track not necessarily developed, giving the child hot sauce, depending on what kind, could probably cause a variety of GI problems (esophageal erosion, ulcers, acid reflux disease, etc.).

Spanking and abuse are not equitable. To suggest they are is a false dichotomy fallacy, and though it is common among some groups, spanking can be done without causing injury, and can also be effective if the child is instructed as to why he's being spanked before-hand, and then is talked to about why he did what he did afterward. Finally, it should ALWAYS be finalized by reminding the child of how much he is loved.

O-Trap;596124 wrote:And too, with a child's digestive track not necessarily developed, giving the child hot sauce, depending on what kind, could probably cause a variety of GI problems (esophageal erosion, ulcers, acid reflux disease, etc.).

Absolutely. But the same thing could be said about washing kids mouths out with soap, which is a still somewhat accepted method of discipline.

Again, I absolutely think that mother was abusing her child, but primarily because of how she treated him psychologically. I agree that talking to your child before and after their punishment is critical. But it's weird to me how people can consider beating their child's ass an acceptable, even critical, part of their upbringing, where as giving them a cold shower is a barbaric punishment.

Well 2kool,

I think the first thing to look at, in answer to your question, is that obviously there is a difference between spanking a butt a few times and beating.
I don't think anybody here wants or supports beating a kids's butt until there's bruising for days afterwards, bleeding welts, etc.

Trying to lump them together as one in and same is ... well quite frankly, it's dishonest.

CenterBHSFan;596379 wrote:Well 2kool,

I think the first thing to look at, in answer to your question, is that obviously there is a difference between spanking a butt a few times and beating.
I don't think anybody here wants or supports beating a kids's butt until there's bruising for days afterwards, bleeding welts, etc.

Trying to lump them together as one in and same is ... well quite frankly, it's dishonest.

There's been multiple posts talking about how people were "backhanded" or hit with belts and how "they turned out fine," or that as a society we "need to go back to that." I can only assume they're implying they'll discipline their children the same way.

I don't really understand blaming today's youth problems on the lack of such discipline, when the kids that have the most problems(low income from urban areas) are the ones that are generally subjected to that form of punishment.

The problem with today's kids is a lack of parenting, not a lack of "old school" discipline. An attentive parent can raise a child well regardless of what discipline methods they use, whether it be spanking, time outs, or making them read and re-write Gibby's posts from ohiochatter.

or making them read and re-write Gibby's posts from ohiochatter.

lmao!

2kool4skool;596373 wrote:Absolutely. But the same thing could be said about washing kids mouths out with soap, which is a still somewhat accepted method of discipline.

Again, I absolutely think that mother was abusing her child, but primarily because of how she treated him psychologically. I agree that talking to your child before and after their punishment is critical. But it's weird to me how people can consider beating their child's ass an acceptable, even critical, part of their upbringing, where as giving them a cold shower is a barbaric punishment.

I agree, whole-heartedly. I live in a very low-income area here in the Elizabeth Park/North Hill area, and I work with a lot of the youth in the area. The well-mannered kids and trouble-causing kids all seem to get the same kind on disciplinary actions at home (spanking, getting their mouth smacked ... not showing physical signs of injury in any case I've seen). The difference, it seems, is HOW the discipline is administered. If it is thoughtful, intentional, and well-explained, the kids typically tend to be better behaved when they come into the center.

2kool4skool;596387 wrote:There's been multiple posts talking about how people were "backhanded" or hit with belts and how "they turned out fine," or that as a society we "need to go back to that." I can only assume they're implying they'll discipline their children the same way.

I don't really understand blaming today's youth problems on the lack of such discipline, when the kids that have the most problems(low income from urban areas) are the ones that are generally subjected to that form of punishment.

The problem with today's kids is a lack of parenting, not a lack of "old school" discipline. An attentive parent can raise a child well regardless of what discipline methods they use, whether it be spanking, time outs, or making them read and re-write Gibby's posts from ohiochatter.

Again, well-said.

And +1 bonus point for the Gibby reference.