Should Kids Get Spanked?
Angela Davis
Mrs. Chancey
Essay 4
November 4, 2009
Should Kids Get Spanked?
There have been many debates on spanking and corporal punishment over recent years. There are two sides to any argument. On one side are some parents, who believe that it is acceptable to spank their children, and on the other side, there are those who believe that children should never be spanked. The main problem with spanking is that each group defines spanking differently. There are some who believe spanking is a form of abuse, while others think of it as discipline. I believe that spankings are a form of discipline, and not abuse.
Spankings are not meant to leave bruises, marks, or welts. Parents have more control when the children have something to fear. There are many parents today who have no control over their kids. This is absurd and disgusting. You, as a parent, have a duty to raise your children to be responsible adults, who are contributing members of society. Ask any teacher, especially a high school teacher, and see how they feel about the learning environment in their classrooms.
People need to realize that as long as the child is spanked in the proper way, it is never child abuse. I, myself was spanked as a child, and I have no ill feelings towards my parents. I am not a deranged lunatic, nor do I “beat” my children on a regular basis. I am a contributing member of society. I was taught to have the utmost respect for my elders, and to treat people with respect; values I have instilled in my children. I am 37 years old, and still to this day, I would never speak to my parents disrespectfully. You may be thinking, “Her parents must have spanked her all the time,” well, you’re wrong. I can remember maybe, 10 times in my whole life getting spanked. I didn’t need to be spanked all the time to know if I did anything wrong, there would be a price to pay. That’s the key….Fear (Fig. 1).
Fig. 1 “Boy is spanked by his mother with a shoe”, circa 1891. Photo by Hulton
Mrs. Chancey
Essay 4
November 4, 2009
Should Kids Get Spanked?
There have been many debates on spanking and corporal punishment over recent years. There are two sides to any argument. On one side are some parents, who believe that it is acceptable to spank their children, and on the other side, there are those who believe that children should never be spanked. The main problem with spanking is that each group defines spanking differently. There are some who believe spanking is a form of abuse, while others think of it as discipline. I believe that spankings are a form of discipline, and not abuse.
Spankings are not meant to leave bruises, marks, or welts. Parents have more control when the children have something to fear. There are many parents today who have no control over their kids. This is absurd and disgusting. You, as a parent, have a duty to raise your children to be responsible adults, who are contributing members of society. Ask any teacher, especially a high school teacher, and see how they feel about the learning environment in their classrooms.
People need to realize that as long as the child is spanked in the proper way, it is never child abuse. I, myself was spanked as a child, and I have no ill feelings towards my parents. I am not a deranged lunatic, nor do I “beat” my children on a regular basis. I am a contributing member of society. I was taught to have the utmost respect for my elders, and to treat people with respect; values I have instilled in my children. I am 37 years old, and still to this day, I would never speak to my parents disrespectfully. You may be thinking, “Her parents must have spanked her all the time,” well, you’re wrong. I can remember maybe, 10 times in my whole life getting spanked. I didn’t need to be spanked all the time to know if I did anything wrong, there would be a price to pay. That’s the key….Fear (Fig. 1).
Fig. 1 “Boy is spanked by his mother with a shoe”, circa 1891. Photo by Hulton
Cited: Alvy, Kerby. "Spanking Should Be Illegal." Opposing Viewpoints: Child Abuse. Ed. Heidi Williams. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2009. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Web. 28 Oct. 2009 “Boy is spanked by his mother with a shoe”, circa 1891. Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images. Web. 2 Nov. 2009 Chigbo, Okey. "Disciplinary Spanking Is Not Child Abuse." Opposing Viewpoints: Child Abuse. Ed. Louise I. Gerdes. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2004. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Web 28 Oct. 2009. "Corporal Punishment." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2009. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Web. 16 Nov. 2009 . Saunders, Debra. "Spanking Should Not Be Illegal." Opposing Viewpoints: Child Abuse. Ed. Heidi Williams. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2009. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Web. 28 Oct. 2009. "Teenagers ' Civil Rights Timeline." Leading Issues Timelines 2009. N.p. ProQuest Staff. SIRS Researcher. Web. 02 November 2009. "To spank or not to spank". USA Today. Jan 25, 2007.10A. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Web. 28 Oct. 2009.