Is Smacking Your Kid Child Abuse?
Posted by Babble staff writers at 10:54 AM on October 15, 2009
A Melbourne mother has been hauled in front of police accused of assaulting her nine-year-old daughter by ‘disciplining’ her with a whack on the bum with a wooden spoon.
Police warned Claire Davidson that she risked being charged with assault with a weapon if she kept up her preferred method of ‘teaching’ after her daughter revealed in a classroom discussion about bullying that her mum hit her with the spoon.
The Australian Childhood Foundation’s Joe Tucci has said: “Children should never have to be hurt to be taught a lesson. It is not effective in shaping children’s behaviour.”
Hear, hear, we cry! We couldn’t agree more. And after watching that Supernanny episode yesterday, we don’t think there’s EVER an appropriate time, place or way to strike a kid. Ever.
But what do you think? Is it ever OK to hit a child – and does it help to modify their behaviour – in a ‘good’ way – if you do?
Good man. We are pack animals. A pack is a society. There is always a pecking order in a society. This is what works for pack animals survival and level of higher functioning. All pack animals discipline their young with some level of physical severity. If children don’t learn their position in society and how to work their way up themselves, the entire society fails. Discipline stops the tail from wagging the dog and puts the dog in charge again so it can lead, be watched for appropriate behaviour and ultimately firm up the youngster for the future.