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Spanking children as a punishment (poll included)

This poll is closed

Should children be spanked as a punishment?

Yes 51%
No49%
Total votes: 463
I thought that generally people had stopped spanking their children as a punishment (apart from child abuse which is different). However today I was watching an episode of supernanny and Jo who was dealing with parents to still spanked their children.

Do you think that it should still be used as a punishment or not?

I don't think it should be used, I know kids are hard to communicate with sometimes, but I believe that violence should never be the answer.

Discuss.

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1
"I can't explain why what you're doing is wrong so I'm just going to hit you"

sums up spanking.
Reply 2
Would like someone who voted 'yes' to state their case...
Reply 3
Original post by ROYP
Would like someone who voted 'yes' to state their case...


Wow loads of people have said 'yes' ...
Kinda surrised me tbh... haha
Reply 4
No kid likes being hit or spanked. Deters them from committing further wrongs in the future.
Reply 5
Original post by yothi5
No kid likes being hit or spanked. Deters them from committing further wrongs in the future.


They shouldn't be trained like animals. Teach/tell them why things are wrong. People should want to do the right thing out of morality, not because they'll get a smack otherwise.
Reply 6
i personally think spanking is acceptable, if the child does somethig wrong then spank them ... they will thus assoicate said action with pain and hopefully not do it again.
of course dont batter the little bugger but the occassional hit i think is more effective than a bit of finger wagging or making them stand in a corner.
Reply 7
Original post by ROYP
Would like someone who voted 'yes' to state their case...


I don't see what the problem is. When I was little, and did something that was obviously wrong, and then chatted back to my mum or dad I was duly punished.

(basically I plastered the ceiling of a school toilet in wet toilet roll when I was like 7.)

When we got home she was furious obviously, she tried to explain how what I had done was wrong but I just thought it was hilarious. So she spanked me traditionally on the bum. That shut me up and made me realize the seriousness of what I had done. I then thought about how it was wrong, and that caused me to realize that she was right and taught me a valuable lesson.

Sometimes, kids, like animals can't be reasoned with. When that point comes, a light spank on the bum gets through to them.

Obviously, yanking of arms and really hitting hard is a completely different thing. I am talking about assisting your words with a light slap to make a point.

Then, after that the child or animal remembers that if they do something that is obviously out of order, they will get told off and spanked. Therefore they don't do it again.

Oh and I am all for bringing back being able to throw board rubbers at naughty kids and the cane. Sometimes, talking isn't enough.

I don't care if you all neg me to kingdom come, it's my opinion, everyone has one.
Ideally, you want a child to behave well because they know WHY previous behaviour was wrong, and because they respect you as a parent.. NOT because they're scared that you'll hit them if they misbehave.
Original post by Bonged.
"I can't explain why what you're doing is wrong so I'm just going to hit you"

sums up spanking.

Punishment and explanation are not incompossible. "I can't explan why what you're doing is wrong so I'm just going to take your toys", may manifest as a response to an unfavourable action of a child, but it doesn't necessarily; it is possible to both explain and punish.
Reply 10
Original post by 331sam331
I don't see what the problem is. When I was little, and did something that was obviously wrong, and then chatted back to my mum or dad I was duly punished.

(basically I plastered the ceiling of a school toilet in wet toilet roll when I was like 7.)

When we got home she was furious obviously, she tried to explain how what I had done was wrong but I just thought it was hilarious. So she spanked me traditionally on the bum. That shut me up and made me realize the seriousness of what I had done. I then thought about how it was wrong, and that caused me to realize that she was right and taught me a valuable lesson.

Sometimes, kids, like animals can't be reasoned with. When that point comes, a light spank on the bum gets through to them.

Obviously, yanking of arms and really hitting hard is a completely different thing. I am talking about assisting your words with a light slap to make a point.

Then, after that the child or animal remembers that if they do something that is obviously out of order, they will get told off and spanked. Therefore they don't do it again.

Oh and I am all for bringing back being able to throw board rubbers at naughty kids and the cane. Sometimes, talking isn't enough.

I don't care if you all neg me to kingdom come, it's my opinion, everyone has one.


I was sometimes spanked as a child, but I think that if my parents had reasoned with me more it would've turned out better.
Surely all parents who hit their children are doing is teaching them that violence is an acceptable method to use when things aren't going your way?
Original post by whyumadtho
Punishment and explanation are not incompossible. "I can't explan why what you're doing is wrong so I'm just going to take your toys", may manifest as a response to an unfavourable action of a child, but it doesn't necessarily; it is possible to both explain and punish.


This.
Reply 13
Original post by 331sam331
I don't see what the problem is. When I was little, and did something that was obviously wrong, and then chatted back to my mum or dad I was duly punished.

(basically I plastered the ceiling of a school toilet in wet toilet roll when I was like 7.)


But that's hilarious
I'm against it but spanking a kid isn't the end of the world. Unless you're leaving marks or something. It's stupid and mean but I took a pasting when I was little and turned out (mostly) fine.
Spanking is more about the parent's anger than any attempt to discipline the child. Whenever my dad used to hit me, it was because he was really angry which figures now I'm older and I know how short-tempered he is whereas my mum has never hit me (that I can remember). I thinking hitting children is wrong in all circumstances.
Reply 16
Definitely. Parents don't use any kinds of actual punishments these days, and as a result the kids know they're going to get away with whatever they want, the worst thing they have to face is a week without their computer, but then again most parents give in after a day or two. When I was little, I was given a smack when I deserved it (on the leg though, not the backside), even in public - it was more about the humiliation than the pain. But it worked, I learned right from wrong.
Original post by Origami Bullets
Surely all parents who hit their children are doing is teaching them that violence is an acceptable method to use when things aren't going your way?


When used excessively yes. When my dad did things wrong my granddad used to chase him and hit him with cricket bats and really rough him up. Full on fist fights. When he was in his late teens he finally snapped and punched him back. All through his 20's he used to get into pub/club fights.

So yes, when used in excess and much too harshly it can give the wrong message. Especially if at the same time, like my dad, you are told that you are useless and will never amount to anything.
Reply 18
White people: 'No spanking is sooo wrong, that child should say F U to the parent and call childline'

Black people: 'Naa it's cool. I got beats and I turned out fine'
Reply 19
Original post by whyumadtho
Punishment and explanation are not incompossible. "I can't explan why what you're doing is wrong so I'm just going to take your toys", may manifest as a response to an unfavourable action of a child, but it doesn't necessarily; it is possible to both explain and punish.


Well.. yeah. It's also possible to punish and not physically attack.

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