Arguments That Have Been Given in Support

of Physical Punishment of Children

1. It stops the misbehavior (especially critical in dangerous situations).
   
   
2. It shows the children who's boss.
   
   
3. Is "part of the parent's cultural and/or religious heritage".
   
   
4. Is a necessary "last resort" when children are "willfully defiant" (Dobson; Trumbull; Larzelere)
   
   
5. Baumrind: "Spanking is not a generative cause of aggression or pathology in children when used appropriately". . . .
   • is controlled
   • is contingent on the child's behavior
   • the child is forewarned
   • parent uses more positive than negative incentives
   • is immediate
   • parent is calm
   • is used privately
   • is carried out in conjunction with reasoning
   • the intention is to correct, not to retaliate
   • is mild; does not escalate to abuse
   • children are not under 18 months or past puberty
     
     (Source: Pediatrics 98: 830, 857, Oct 1996)
     
     
6. Larzelere: "The evidence to date suggests that nonabusive spanking has generally beneficial effects* on children under the following limited conditions". . . .
   • with children aged 2 to 6 years
   • used less than weekly
   • used at nonabusive levels of severity, preferably two open-handed swats to the buttocks
   • leaving no bruise
   • used privately
   • used with reasoning
   • used primarily as back-up for less aversive discipline responses (such as reasoning and time-out)
   • resulting in an intermediate level of child distress
   • by loving parents
     
     (Sources: Pediatrics 98:827, Oct 1996; FAMSCI post, Aug 1997)
     
     
   *NOTE: As nearly as I can ascertain, the purported beneficial effects boil down to demonstrating to the child that his/her parents are serious.
   
   NOTE II: It is not possible at this point to obtain an assessment of the effects of spanking within the guidelines or limits proposed by Baumrind and Larzelere-because no study has obtained data from parents as to whether those guidelines were met. My speculation is that only a minuscule proportion of instances of spanking would meet all those criteria — hence, be acceptable even to these critics.
   
   

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