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So your child is acting up again, refusing to listen to you, and you feel as if you've exhausted your options, rifled through all the parenting books and nothing's working. You've tried scolding them, taking away their favorite play-toy, and implementing a time-out but to no avail. There's one more method of discipline you're considering: spanking. Maybe a friend has suggested it to you before, perhaps you've gone through it yourself as a child, but at this point, you're willing to give it a try. It seems simple enough, harmless even, a meager swat to the backside to show you mean business. Before you go through with spanking your child, however, it's best to fully educate yourself about the issue and understand the risks associated with it.
Though frequently seen as a last resort to bad behavior, spanking is arguably one of the most common forms of discipline implemented in the United States. It is also one of the most controversial. According to a national survey conducted in 2005, 72% of US parents approve of spanking at least occasionally (Straus, 2009). Additionally, some states have passed laws explicitly legalizing spanking, and as of 2010, the practice has been extended to public schools in 20 states. At the same time, there is a movement targeted towards changing those legislation laws, encouraging the prohibition of spanking.
The reasoning for spanking spawns from a multitude of social and cultural beliefs and standards. Some adults spank more, some less, if at all, and this frequency of spanking varies by gender, ethnicity, family income, and geographic regions. Furthermore, certain characteristics associated with spanking may influence this frequency, such as: the age of the child, age and gender of the parent, socioeconomic status, and cultural norms (Walsh, 2002). At the core of this controversy is the issue of the child's well-being. Spanking can do psychological and emotional damage to the growing child as well as influence his or her attitude towards aggression.
This site is dedicated to informing you about the risks and consequences associated with spanking; please continue to the rest of the site to learn more about this issue.
Though frequently seen as a last resort to bad behavior, spanking is arguably one of the most common forms of discipline implemented in the United States. It is also one of the most controversial. According to a national survey conducted in 2005, 72% of US parents approve of spanking at least occasionally (Straus, 2009). Additionally, some states have passed laws explicitly legalizing spanking, and as of 2010, the practice has been extended to public schools in 20 states. At the same time, there is a movement targeted towards changing those legislation laws, encouraging the prohibition of spanking.
The reasoning for spanking spawns from a multitude of social and cultural beliefs and standards. Some adults spank more, some less, if at all, and this frequency of spanking varies by gender, ethnicity, family income, and geographic regions. Furthermore, certain characteristics associated with spanking may influence this frequency, such as: the age of the child, age and gender of the parent, socioeconomic status, and cultural norms (Walsh, 2002). At the core of this controversy is the issue of the child's well-being. Spanking can do psychological and emotional damage to the growing child as well as influence his or her attitude towards aggression.
This site is dedicated to informing you about the risks and consequences associated with spanking; please continue to the rest of the site to learn more about this issue.