In the last six months or so, I have been asked a disproportionate number of questions on spanking, the central theme of these inquiries always being: Is spanking a form of child abuse?
There is, I discovered, an activist movement within the professional community which is lobbying to criminalize spanking, "a la Sweden. Opponents talk of "parents' rights" and "family values. But is "to spank or not to spank? To explore this controversy, I've decided upon the format of a self-interview.
The first question is predictable:. A: I've always thought that was a strange question, as if spanking is some sort of religious principle. Without doubt, there are some who would have parents believe that by spanking children on a regular basis, they are pleasing God and doing His this is definitely a guy-God will, but I am not one of those.
Speaking for myself, spanking has never been a religious experience. I do not believe that one spoils the child by sparing the rod, or switch, or belt, or hand. But, true confession time, I have, on occasion, spanked my children. When they were much younger, that is they're both adults. And if I had it all to do over, given the same situations and outrageous behaviors, I would probably do so again.
I have no regrets. But I don't believe in spanking. I do not believe that spankings are necessary to the proper rearing of children. Nor do I believe that spankings are, in and of themselves, abusive. A: No, Spankings are a lousy form of discipline. In fact, they do not warrant being classed as discipline at all. At best, a spanking is nothing more, nothing less, than a dramatic form of nonverbal communication and anyone who's ever lived with a child can attest to the occasional need for drama.
