Spanking as a Discipline Tactic
by Dr. Alvin Poussaint Because we were spanked.
The usual argument is "My parents spanked me and I turned out OK." And maybe they did, but this is a time in which our children are exposed to more violence than we ever were. Do we want to contribute to it?
Because it seems to work.
Spanking usually does put an end to the immediate problem. But studies show that spanking correlates with higher levels of aggression in children. And that leads to the questions "Are children who misbehave more spanked more as a result? Or do children who are spanked more misbehave more as a result?"
Because we "lose it."
Sometimes we're so overwhelmed by the problem and our own angry feelings that we can't think of anything else to do. But if our children see us as their models, is this what we want to teach them about how to solve problems?
