Young Writers Society

I was rarley hit as a child (I can remember twice, once when I punched my brother, and another time when I lied) and I don't think it's right unless the child really screws up. Violence just breeds violence. When I punched my brother what did them smacking me back teach me? Kind of contridictory if you ask me. I'm not a violent person at all, although I have a mean yelling shriek.

My brother was a REALLY hard child, and my parents resorted to smacking him. It accomplished nothing. If anything it made him lash out even more. My mother was beaten as a kid, and as a result she ended up pregnant and hating her parents by the time she moved out. Their relationship still isn't the best. My aunt spanks her children (not very hard) and I also think it's doing more harm than good. They never want to listen and they rebel. I never want to go to their house because of it.

Even when it's necessary to give them a tap (it happens) never should a mark be left. Also, I think emotional abuse is also bad and people need to start looking into that. I wasn't majorly emotionally abused as a child but my mother was no where near perfect. She channeled her anger through words rather than beatings like her parents did, and I don't recommend that. It does a number to the child, even if it's not physical.

Final answer: No, it shouldn't happen and I don't plan to spank my children. Other things can be done even with the hardest of children.

I do agree with you in a sense, stargazer. I don't plan on hitting my children, but I recognize it as a technique to discipline them. Again, I say it should be a last resort. There are other ways to reprimand your children.

Allow me to recollect an experience I had today, followed by another experienced I had a few months ago.

I was in a shop waiting for my food, when I woman came in with her son. She places an order for her son, who says he wants Coca Cola. His Mother says no, they have other drinks at home. The son says he wants Coca Cola. She says no, they have other drinks at home. The son throws a tantrum and calls his mother a bitch. The food is made, the mother takes a single chip from her sons food and the son says, buy your own you fat bitch. Embarrasses her in front of a whole store.

In this case, the pseudo-liberal society I live in says it's wrong to smack a child. I disagree. My parents would have smacked me and I would have deserved it. This probably has something to do with my mediterranean background and it's more direct approach to dealing with things compared to the UK.

Now, my next example is at a zoo. A mother asks my friend to take a photo of her and her son. The son is looking at giraffes, the mother says come over here, the son is laughing at the giraffes. the mother goes over and beats her son several times...I was a way a way but I could hear the thuds loudly. He then isn't smiling enough during the photos, so he gets several more thuds...

In this case, I would favour the mother getting a smack. In fact, if I wasn't so busy throwing up in disgust, I would have volunteered myself.

All in all, I think there is a fine line between discipline (my parents 'patted' me and never hurt me) and downright abuse (what the latter woman did to her son).

Just my opinion.

I'm betting the mother at McDonalds had other things going on at home if her son was acting like that. That most likely had nothing to do with the way she displined him, rather if she displined him at all. I'm sorry, but I can't imagine any child that was even slightly displined acting like that.

And the other, well that's just horrible. I would have volunteered as well. If she does that in public I can only imagine what she does at home...

Should childen be allowed to smack their parents when they misbehave?

Rubric wrote:Should childen be allowed to smack their parents when they misbehave?

EXACTLY! The rule should be the same, If the parent smacks the child then obiously the chile should be able to smack them otherwise!

All smacking does is:

Hurting the child

causing violence

is done more than appropriate- Child Abuse

Depression

The child will learn from it, to smack their child when they get one!

And much more!

And, would it be appropriate if the parent smacked their child, even know the child is all grown up?

NO!