Spanking - punishable by Law?
Am I late in just hearing about this.
Isreal (my 15 year old) and I were watching the news and they had a story about a proposed California law that would make spanking and/or swatting a child (3rs or younger) on the bottom or elsewhere illegal.
If this proposed law is pass and you are caught spanking or swatting your child, you could face 1 yr. in jail or a $1,000 Fine. The proposed law would make spanking a child under 3 misdemeanor child abuse, (an extension of current corporal punishment laws.)
After the story aired, Isreal turned to me and said, "Wow, can they really outlaw spanking"?
So what do you think? Do you feel this is a violation of parental rights? Do you agree with the proposed law?
Isreal (my 15 year old) and I were watching the news and they had a story about a proposed California law that would make spanking and/or swatting a child (3rs or younger) on the bottom or elsewhere illegal.
If this proposed law is pass and you are caught spanking or swatting your child, you could face 1 yr. in jail or a $1,000 Fine. The proposed law would make spanking a child under 3 misdemeanor child abuse, (an extension of current corporal punishment laws.)
After the story aired, Isreal turned to me and said, "Wow, can they really outlaw spanking"?
So what do you think? Do you feel this is a violation of parental rights? Do you agree with the proposed law?
posted by Aurelia at 8:18 PM
NEW! 
13 Comments:
See this is why I don't even bother touching my kids in any disciplinarian way no matter how small when I'm in public. I'm afraid someone will turn me in to CPS and take away my kids! Then I feel like everyone is staring at me because my son is screaming at the top of his lungs because he's not getting his way. If I'm with DH, one of us takes him out of the place we're in for a "time out," but when I'm alone I can't exactly do that. I'd like to give his kicking legs a quick swat, but am also afraid of what people would think about that.
I don't like spanking but I don't think it should be illegal. Interestingly, child abuse rates went UP in Sweden when spanking was outlawed. Some say this is because when parents weren't allowed to vent their frustrations, their emotions were overwhelmed and they became abusive. I don't know if that's true or not, but I know plenty of parents who I think are incredible parents who did the occasional swat on the bootie. Sounds like another convenient way for the Gubmint to get our money. LOL!
I don't think it should be illegal. Lord knows that my son (he's 8 now) needed a good swat on the rump every now and then when he was younger (and even once in awhile he still could use one!).
They are teaching kids in school now a days too that if a parent or adult lays a hand on you that it's a abuse. Caleb has said to me before that he can turn me in for spanking because I'm abusing him!
I know exactly what Stacie means about any sort of 'physical' discipline in public! When Caleb was younger I'd rather have people stare at me for him screaming at the top of his lungs or throwing a fit in the middle of a store than lay a hand on him!!!!
Spanking should not be the only source of behavior change but it can and does play an important role
in some of the behaviors described above. NOT Beating your child or Hitting him hard, but a controled swat on the behind only hurts long enough to bring about the desired results IF used SPARINGLY and with DISCRETION. Another method that worked WELL in our family, was my mother telling us, if you don't straighten up now, one more time and I'm telling you father when he gets home! And he would administer the discretionery spanking. Just the threat of it did WONDERS! NO THANKS, I'll be good. Or when we get home, I'm going to get a "switch" off that Willow tree.
If you've ever seen small Willow branches, I don't think they could swat a fly and kill it, but the THOUGHT of that Willow branch "switching" did wonders for our unruly behaviors. 1 or 2 times for each of us with a Willow Switch and then only the Threat of it surfficed from then on. Non of us children have turned out to be child beaters and we have all discovered that we and our children are the better off for the disapline. Beating a child is wrong, but nobody will convince me that Discresionery controlled swatting or switching is a bad thing if when used in the proper sparingly controlled fashion and is psychologically sound. This law they're trying to pass, SUCKS A BIG ONE!!! Instead, they should be sorting through the apples to find the bad ones, the REAL child beaters and molestors, and take them to court instead. Just ANOTHER F..ked up idea from some Overly Zealous bureacrats!!
I just want to clarify that my comments are not a condoning of using physical punishment. I believe it is the truly exceptional parent who can spank once or twice on the behind without an escalation of the anger. I also see evidence of spanking harming parent/child relationships long into adulthood.
But not liking it doesn't mean it should be illegal.
The government sucks, they ignore kids who are being abused right under their noses till the day one of them is killed... when that happens they take someone else who maybe once swatted their kids on the behind and put them in jail to justify their other mistakes.
I don't condone physical violence of adults or children but the government needs to get their act together and do things the right way.
I was spanked growing up and my god had my parents been put in jail and all of us seperated and sent to foster homes i'm sure my life would have been a disaster... much worst than being spanked.
Good point Mila. My husband should have been taken from his Grandmother, my Mother should have been taken from her parents, and I know plenty of other kids who should have been taken from their parents for sexual/physical/emotional abuse... but a swat on the hiney?
Putting them in foster care where they might have unspeakably bad treatment is not the answer. Maybe the government might start offering parenting effectiveness classes in high school?
That would be a good use of tax dollars, IMO.
Carrie...
"parenting effectiveness classes"
at night for parents, could be a very good idea IF the teachers could all agree on the curriculum.
Wonderful idea!!
Yes, I agree Carrie... the effort has to be on prevention rather than correction BUT when have you known the government to really put their efforts on prevention.
I don't know, but it's a viscous cycle. And what do you do when you feel a child is being abused? There is a little girl at preschool which just looks so sad to me and I see how her mother speaks to her and treats her and I wonder what it's like for her at home?
I'm sure not very good... but what do you do, stand by and let it happen? or interfer and face the fact that perhaps you're making a mistake or making life for that child worst?
I think the best you can do to help a child like that is to be a witness to their mistreatment.
That ONE thing- having an adult acknowledge that the treatment they're enduring is not right - can mean the difference between them growing up to perpetuate that or not.
Of course I don't think you can go up to a little kid and say: "Your Mommy is mean" or anything, but your kindness to her will show her that (if she's indeed enduring some abuse) she's right to feel that it's wrong.
So Carrie, do you think it is emotional abuse to children for a mother to stay with her husband when he is abusing her?
Quite possibly, yes. I suppose each case is different, and I'm no Psychiatrist.
I am against spanking entirely, I think it has no place in the discipline of children. There are plenty of ways to discipline an unruly child other than spanking. For example if an 5 year old is throwing a temper tantrum and you are at your wits end, gently carry her to her room and tell her "I understand you are upset that we had to leave the park but I do not tolerate screaming and yelling. When you are ready to talk to me nicely, come out and talk to me." That way you are letting the child cool off and calm themselves. Also you are able to calm yourself.
On the "parenting classes" note I definitely agree with that. Parents should be encouraged if not required to take "x" amount of parenting class hours after they have a child. Also, in high school kids should be required to take parenting classes, because many of the young parents I know just are not able to handle the strain of a newborn or a toddler. I think if everyone took raising a child as seriously as they take their jobs, our world would be a different place. Parenting is a job that one should train for and be prepared for.
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