Spanking Verses Child Abuse

Spanking Verses Child Abuse 1

Spanking Verses Child Abuse

The Effectiveness of Loving Discipline

Western International University

COM 110 Effective Persuasive Writing

David Scharn

October 16, 2005

Spanking Verses Child Abuse 2

The common misconception that spanking is a form of child abuse affects the proper discipline of today's youth. Some parents are actually afraid to discipline their own children using the same method of belief from their own upbringing. Who is correct in the notion of right and wrong discipline? Is there such a thing as a correct way to spank your child? In my opinion, there is. So, my goal is to show that if the proper guidelines, created by certified professionals, are followed, then spanking critics fail to prove that spanking is child abuse.

Should spanking your child as a use of discipline be considered as a form of child abuse? Experts on child rearing are, for the most part, against spanking. According to them it causes negative long-term effects. In my research for this essay, I asked fifteen parents their opinion on spanking. Each of them said that they have spanked their own child on at least one occasion. They all agree that it is proper to discipline in this way. Each parent also said the crime justified the punishment, and not all negative behaviors require a spanking; but spanking is their number one choice when all other methods of discipline fail.

The Differences in Spanking and Child Abuse

By defining the vocabulary associated with spanking and child abuse, you effectively show the important contrasts in the two terms. The differences in the terms put each of them into their own category, thereby distinguishing that one is not the other. Abuse comes in many shapes and forms. Black's Law Dictionary states that child abuse is "an intentional or neglectful physical or emotional injury imposed on a child, including

Spanking Verses Child Abuse 3

sexual molestation" (Garner, 1999, p.10). Abuse causes actual injury, whether physical or emotional, to a child. "A commonly adopted definition specifies spanking as hitting a child with a open hand on the buttocks or extremities with the intent to discipline without leaving a bruise or causing physical harm"(Kazdin and Benjet, 2003, Spanking Defined, ¶ 1).

Correct spanking causes no physical or emotional harm. The loving parent that spanks their child does so without causing bodily harm. Spanking is done out of love and concern for a child's safety and well-being, but abuse is almost always done out of anger or emotional issues of the parent. The difference between spanking and abuse is that along with spanking, comes the reinforcement of love and support. By spanking their child, a parent is sending the message that says what that child has done is wrong and will not be tolerated. Abuse, on the other hand, is usually followed by more anger and even isolation of the child. This leaves the child feeling unwanted and unloved. When no physical or emotional harm occurs to the child after a spanking, then how can spanking be stereotyped as abuse? Correct forms of spanking are not abuse and, therefore, should not be considered as such.

The laws in the state of South Carolina are clear on the issues of spanking as effective discipline. The Code of Laws of South Carolina (1976) "excludes spanking that's only function is to control or correct the child as child abuse" (§ 20-7-490). In the court rooms of South Carolina it would be almost impossible to prosecute a parent for spanking their child with the intent on correcting an undesirable behavior. As a matter of

Spanking Verses Child Abuse 4 fact, most state laws in our country exclude physical abuse from their definitions of child abuse. Almost all of the criminal and civil codes in the United States state that injury must result in the act of physical discipline to be considered as child abuse (Spanking Laws 2005)

The Differing Opinions on Spanking

There are many varying opinions on spanking. The experts that are against spanking say that it is a violent act and teaches children that hitting is okay. Pro spanking advocate, Dr. James Dobson, reprinted a very informative article by Dr. Den Trumbull M.D. and Dr. S. DuBose Ravenel M.D. entitled To Spank or Not to Spank: A look at an age-old question that baffles many physicians. It states, "There is no evidence in the medical literature that a mild spank to the buttocks of a disobedient child by a loving parent teaches the child aggressive behavior" (Dobson, 2004, p. 127). Dr. Dobson also cited the doctors whose article said that it is impractical to suppose that a child wouldn't show violent behavior if parents used other forms of discipline rather than spanking. Most toddlers, who have yet to be spanked because of their age, commonly strike out against others in aggravation. This is true of any toddler, seen out in public, who throws a temper tantrum over not getting his way. Countless parents, frustrated themselves, simply remove the child from making an undesirable scene. The only thing to do for a child of that age is to remove temptation and distract the child with a toy or juice cup. As the toddler grows, distraction is more difficult and the disciplining methods increase intensity. Some experts against spanking also argue that the act itself causes the child to be angry at the parent. Anger between a child and their parent causes little or no

Spanking Verses Child Abuse 5 communication. Dr. Dobson (1972) said that the greatest chance for talking between a parent and child is following a spanking. It is one of the things that bring the two together after the parent wins from being disrespectfully confronted, and it is above all a perfect chance to talk if the young person knew he was performing an incorrect deed and deserved what he got.

The more important issue is the way spanking is done more than