Researchers Analyze 50 Years of Spanking Studies

[cow451]

Spanking is a part of many cultures. Who are we to impose more cultural imperialism on others?

Who says we are?

 

[CRAZY_CAT_WOMAN]

Bologna.

Parents are humans, and kids are too. Things happen, and you move on. Kids will reach for the hot pot even after you teach them not to touch. Not every single one, but it does happen. That's what kids do.

If toddlers are able to reach for hot stuff. You're not doing your job. In protecting them. By the time a child's 6 years old. They should know not to touch hot stuff. If they don't no better, then you haven't taught them. Things happen because grown ups screw up. I don't care if someone spanks a child, because they try to touch a pot. But that's your fault if they can.

 

[Nithavela]

Spanking is a part of many cultures. Who are we to impose more cultural imperialism on others?

Is this a serious question?

 

[Sistrin]

Your immense distrust of CPS is noted and not entirely baseless. This doesn't mean it is without merit or that we need a different organization to deal with this issue.

We certainly do not need a different organization involved. That we do was never my point.

Nice effort at derailment.

Oh, please. CPS was brought up by another, to which I responded.

 

[cow451]

Oh, please. CPS was brought up by another, to which I responded.

Oh, please. My bad.

 

[Followers4christ]

Studies say it's good for the child and others say it's harmful. What this shows that the "experts" don't know what their talking about. Here is what a couple of studies said:

"When parents are loving and firm and communicate well with the child,'' Dr. Baumrind said, ''the children are exceptionally competent and well adjusted, whether or not their parents spanked them as preschoolers.''

The study drew upon data from the Family Socialization and Developmental Competence Project, which followed families in the Berkeley, Calif., area over 12 years, from the time their children were preschoolers until they were adolescents.

Dr. Baumrind argued that, without compelling evidence that spanking is harmful, parents should be free to rear their children in accordance with their own values and traditions.

http://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/25/u...-to-advocates-of-spanking.html?pagewanted=all

Young children spanked by their parents may grow up to be happier and more successful than those who have never been hit, a study has found.

According to the research, children spanked up to the age of 6 were likely as teenagers to perform better at school and were more likely to carry out volunteer work and to want to go to college than their peers who had never been physically disciplined.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/2010/0...ay-grow-up-to-be-happier-more-successful.html

 

[PreachersWife2004]

It depends on the children, and it depends on how it's done. I spank. I haven't spanked my boys in who knows how long, though, because I use it sparingly and for very serious offenses.

As for the ole "it's your fault if your kid is reaching for a pot" I call bollocks. To expect a parent to keep an eye on a child 24/7 every second of the day is ridiculous, and I'm betting that the people suggesting have posts in their CF history that would tell us that THEY certainly haven't watched children 24/7 every second of the day.

My kids have never touched a hot pot, granted, but they have done some stupid stuff, just like I did growing - just like EVERYONE did growing up.

 

[grandvizier1006]

while I'm sure someone would love to psychoanalize me in light of the (occasional) spankings I got as a child (I'm from the south, it's culturally accepted there and legal), I don't think it did much. I'm a bit distant from my dad (who gave the spankings) but there are various reasons for that. But it didn't give me any trauma, nor am I a victim of abuse.

 

[Hetta]

Dr. Baumrind argued that, without compelling evidence that spanking is harmful, parents should be free to rear their children in accordance with their own values and traditions.

Those 'traditions' have been known to get kids killed, just fyi.

http://www.babble.com/mom/to-train-up-a-child-teaches-punishment-that-kills-kids/

In the last seven years, the deaths of three children – all adopted – have been attributed to use of the Pearls’ book. 4-year-old Sean Paddock was killed by his adoptive mother Lynn Paddock in 2006, 7-year-old Lydia Schatz was killed by her adoptive parents Kevin and Elizabeth in 2010, and 13-year-old Hana Williams was killed by her adoptive parents Larry and Carri in 2011. In all three cases, the parents were convicted of murder.

Alicia Bayer, who has written extensively about the Pearls for Examiner.com, notes that their training methods include:

• Using plastic tubing to beat children, since it is “too light to cause damage to the muscle or the bone”
• Wearing the plastic tubing around the parent’s neck as a constant reminder to obey
• “Swatting” babies as young as six months old with instruments such as “a 12-inch willowy branch,” thinner plastic tubing or a wooden spoon
• “Blanket training” babies by hitting them with an instrument if they try to crawl off a blanket on the floor
• Beating older children with rulers, paddles, belts and larger tree branches
• “Training” children with pain before they even disobey, in order to teach total obedience
• Giving cold water baths, putting children outside in cold weather and withholding meals as discipline
• Hosing off children who have potty training accidents
• Inflicting punishment until a child is “without breath to complain”

Hana Williams, the most recent victim of the Pearls’ methods, died after having been beaten, starved, and left outside to suffer hypothermia.

What kind of monster uses "plastic tubing" to threaten/beat children, or hits babies with switches or spoons? I can't even bear to think about the terrible things done to these children in the name of "the Bible."

 

[HannahT]

Yes, I agree. The Pearls are downright NUTS and dangerous on top of it.

 

[Xalith]

I was spanked a few times when I was a kid when I truly did something wrong.

You know what? It taught me to fear doing something wrong, funny that.

My parents swatted me with the palm of their hand, and once, a flyswatter handle. They never caused any actual injury (other than a red mark and some stinging that eventually went away). It was more embarrassing than anything else.

But I learned very quickly that if I was about to do something I know I was not permitted to do, that I could get spanked... and it made me think twice about doing it.

Now, granted, a few times... I got sneaky and snuck around and got away with it. But then any kid does that. The point is, it put the fear of being caught in my mind.

Now, my parents didn't always pull out the flyswatter or get their hand ready for every little thing... no, they reserved THAT punishment for the worst of mis-behaviors. On more minor offenses, I was either grounded, told to sit in the corner, or what-not instead.

The thing about spanking, is that you need to teach your kids that you love them, you care about them... but yet at the same time, they cannot disrespect you, or do whatever they please despite you telling them not to. It's a balance. You don't want to be too violent with your kids, and you want to give warnings and explain why something is wrong and tell them what will happen if they do it anyways.

Too many parents do the whole "Because I said so." routine, and any kid knows that's a load of bull. No, "Because I said so" doesn't cut it. You have to sit the kid down and explain why, and explain what happens when they mis-behave. And most importantly of all, you need to stick to the rules. If you tell a kid that if he steals a cookie out of the cookie jar and you're gonna ground him the next time he does it, and he does it and you don't ground him... he's gonna know that he can take an inch for a mile and get away with it. You DON'T want to go down that road. No means no means no.

EDIT: And BTW, I do not approve of spanking kids younger than 5. The kid needs to be old enough to know what is right, and what is wrong and be old enough to make a conscious decision of whether or not to obey your rules. I think I was about 6 or 7 before my parents spanked me the first time, and from the best of my memories, I think I deserved it. I wasn't exactly an angel when I was young, lol.

 

[smaneck]

delete

 

[smaneck]

Spanking is a part of many cultures. Who are we to impose more cultural imperialism on others?

Uh, your cultural imperialism includes spankings.

 

[Cearbhall]

Partly, yeah.

Because as we all know, forceful contact with a human hand magically sends logic and critical thinking skills to the brain. I suppose I should smack myself upside the head before every exam.

Studies say it's good for the child and others say it's harmful. What this shows that the "experts" don't know what their talking about. Here is what a couple of studies said:

"When parents are loving and firm and communicate well with the child,'' Dr. Baumrind said, ''the children are exceptionally competent and well adjusted, whether or not their parents spanked them as preschoolers.''

Yes, this is because spanking does not always have negative effects. If it's mild, and the parents compensate for it in other ways, the child is usually fine. In these cases, spanking has a neutral effect, and then the outcome of the child is based on how they parented apart from the spankings. They know what they're talking about better than you do.

 

[jayem]

Spanking never worked on me. Writing sentences over and over however did. There are much better and creative punishments that do work.

I agree. When I was maybe 6 or 7, I boosted some play money from a friend who lived down the street. I just thought it was cool and pocketed it when he wasn't looking. When my mother found it, she didn't spank me, or ground me, or even lecture me. She just told me, very calmly, but firmly, that I was to go back to his house, and in front of him and his parents, return the money, apologize for taking it, and promise never to do anything like that again. Of course, I was mortified to confess my sin publicly, but that's what I had to do. That was the only punishment I got, but it was as good a lesson as I ever learned.

 

[Followers4christ]

Because as we all know, forceful contact with a human hand magically sends logic and critical thinking skills to the brain. I suppose I should smack myself upside the head before every exam.

Yes, this is because spanking does not always have negative effects. If it's mild, and the parents compensate for it in other ways, the child is usually fine. In these cases, spanking has a neutral effect, and then the outcome of the child is based on how they parented apart from the spankings. They know what they're talking about better than you do.

So if the "experts" know better which experts do not? Since both group of experts disagree with one another, who is right? Is the group of experts that go along with your views the right one? If so why. Is this study correct:

Young children spanked by their parents may grow up to be happier and more successful than those who have never been hit, a study has found.

According to the research, children spanked up to the age of 6 were likely as teenagers to perform better at school and were more likely to carry out volunteer work and to want to go to college than their peers who had never been physically disciplined.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/2010/0...ay-grow-up-to-be-happier-more-successful.html

 

[Cearbhall]

So if the "experts" know better which experts do not?

My whole point was that I don't see any disagreement in what you posted.

I was spanked a few times when I was a kid when I truly did something wrong.

You know what? It taught me to fear doing something wrong, funny that.

Which got the job done as far as your parents having to deal with you, but I personally want to teach my kids that there isn't always going to be the threat of getting caught and facing tangible consequences. They'll learn to want to avoid the action itself rather than a punishment, just as I did.

 

[Nithavela]

It really impresses me that some people can look at 50 years of studies including 161.000 children and then say "Well, it didn't harm me, so it can't be so bad".

 

[Followers4christ]

It really impresses me that some people can look at 50 years of studies including 161.000 children and then say "Well, it didn't harm me, so it can't be so bad".

What about the other research that says its not harmful at all. Some studies say it's bad and others back up that it's good for kids. What it comes down to is what are you as a parent comfortable with in child rearing. Not only does some say it's good for child development, but also from experience as both from my own childhood and as a parent knows it works and when done right it, it can bring out alot of positive in children.

 

[Nithavela]

What about the other research that says its not harmful at all. Some studies say it's bad and others back up that it's good for kids. What it comes down to is what are you as a parent comfortable with in child rearing. Not only does some say it's good for child development, but also from experience as both from my own childhood and as a parent knows it works and when done right it, it can bring out alot of positive in children.

A parent that wants to make an informed decision on the issue of spanking can base this decision on the studies for and against it.

By the way, the stories you have cited only claim that there is insufficent evidence for the harm done by spanking, if done in a "moderate way".

So you have one side that says "It causes harm", and another side that says "It does cause some harm, but under certain circumstances, there is not enough evidence that it does cause harm".