Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site ssc-vax.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!mhuxn!mhuxj!mhuxr!ulysses!allegra!bellcore!decvax!tektronix!uw-beaver!ssc-vax!jayt From: jayt@ssc-vax.UUCP (Jay T McCanta) Newsgroups: net.kids,net.abortion,net.philosophy Subject: Re: Corporal Punishment Message-ID: <441@ssc-vax.UUCP> Date: Wed, 20-Feb-85 17:34:42 EST Article-I.D.: ssc-vax.441 Posted: Wed Feb 20 17:34:42 1985 Date-Received: Mon, 4-Mar-85 04:46:16 EST References: <322@cadre.ARPA> Organization: Boeing Aerospace Co., Seattle, WA Lines: 39 Xref: watmath net.kids:1044 net.abortion:1323 net.philosophy:1493 At one point in time (I don't recalL when) I read (I don't recall where) that children prefer a spanking to other forms of punishment. Why? Because it was over with quickly. Now that I think about it, there was more than one time that I wished I had just been whacked and got it all over with instead of being grounded, lectured, stood in a corner, etc. I don't believe in slapping a child. Spanking, as others have said, doesn't seem as personel an asault. Toddlers, whose judgement and memory are quite selective, need some reenforcement (either positive or negative) that will prevent them from life threatening situations. I have not met a two year old who fully understands what it means to be hit by a car, but most understand a spanking. I'm not saying that it is the best method, but it is effective. All children need to know that some one is in control. They tend to look to adults for this. As they get older, they want to know thier limits. Many troublesome kids are just testing thier limits. They want to know just how far they can go. The idea of "tough-love" for teen-agers is that these people never knew their bounds. It is trying to make up for this loss. When a child's bounds are crossed, the child needs to know. I beilve a firm (not hard) swat and an explaination of the violation convey the needed message. This done in a loving environment (and not infront of peers) should not prove devastating to a child. It teaches them responsibility for their actions. Now, whether teachers should be able to spank their students, I wish that every teacher was wise enough to know how and when to spank, but because I know that isn't the case, I find myself torn. There is the child's right to saftey (above all else) and there are the rights of the other children to have a quit classroom, calm teacher, etc. The question is too important to leave to the government, but I don't have a solution either. ------------------------------------- Never strike a child in anger, Never hit him when irate, But save it for some happy time, When both are feeling great. - Erma Bombeck -------------------------------------