Here are some answers to common questions about the physical punishment of children
I have smacked my children in the past so wouldn't it be hypocritical of me to support the campaign to ban smacking?
Many campaign supporters "smacked" their children or were themselves physically punished as children, but they recognise that everyone has the right to change their views and move on. It is good to want a better future for all our children, whatever happened in the past.
Doesn't physical punishment teach right from wrong?
Young children learn most of their social behaviour from the adults around them. It's true a quick "smack" may stop a child momentarily but it is disrespectful, gives a lesson in bad behaviour and does nothing to teach a child about other ways of behaving. Children who are physically punished learn that hitting is an acceptable way to solve conflict and are more likely to hit other children. The more a child is hit, the more likely it is that the child may grow up to be an adult who deals with others, not with reason and good example, but with force.
Positive, non-violent discipline works through enhancing the relationship between parents and children, is always respectful, focuses on acceptable behaviour and encourages it.
Click here for positive parenting links
Does the Bible instruct parents to physically punish children?
Some Christians who still advocate corporal punishment refer to this as "Biblical discipline". This term implies that hitting children is the way Jesus would want us to treat children, but there is no evidence that Jesus instructed parents to physically punish their children. All the recorded encounters between Jesus and children were kind, gentle and respectful. Positive, non-violent discipline best models Christ's teachings.
The book of Proverbs is often quoted as authorising physical punishment but its ethos and teachings derive from ancient times not from the new commandment of Christ, which established a new relationship between God and humanity based on love instead of fear. Christians believe in a loving, compassionate, inclusive and forgiving God - not a God of wrath and punishment. We believe the Bible should always be read and understood in the light of Christ's teachings.
For more information about the Bible and positive discipline follow the links:
Samuel Martin's book 'Thy Rod And Thy Staff They Comfort Me: A New Book Opening Doors of Understanding about the Bible and what it teaches about Children'. contact:www.biblechild.com
Shouldn't the decision about whether to use corporal punishment be left to individual parents?
Human rights protection does not stop at the family door. Hitting children is wrong, just as it is unacceptable for adult family members to hit each other. Children are not the possessions of parents, but are recognised as individuals who are entitled to the protection of human rights standards just like everyone else. The welfare and protection of children is the responsibility of society as a whole.
If children are not disciplined with corporal punishment, won't they run out of control?
It is important for adults to set safe limits for children appropriate to their age and development but this should not involve physical punishment. The term discipline is too often misunderstood to mean punishment, but it comes from the same Latin root discere as discipleship, meaning literally "to learn". Positive discipline is about guiding and teaching children by example without the use of any form of violence. Punishment means "to cause to undergo pain". There is no place for punishment in positive discipline. The philosophy that supports punishment regards blind obedience as a virtue. Positive, non-violent discipline fosters self-discipline, reduces parental stress and improves and enhances relationships between children and the adults who care for them.
For further reading see the article by Murray Strauss:
Demystifying the defences of corporal punishment No 44 on contents page of the Nospank Project: http://www.nospank.net/toc.htm#srch
I was hit as a child and it never did me any harm, so why change now?
People usually hit children because they were hit themselves and it is pointless to judge a previous generation of parents who were acting in accordance with the general culture of the time. But times have changed, and we are aware of the danger and ineffectiveness of physical punishment and we need to move on. However 'controlled' she or he is, a full-sized adult who hits a much smaller child risks causing harm. Physical punishment is ineffective as it does not tell children what they have done wrong or what they should do instead. Children are usually too overwhelmed with hurt or anger to listen to explanations. But even if it worked, hitting children would still be wrong.
Read what children say about being smacked - Click to link to Children Are Unbeatable! website
Isn't there a difference between a "loving smack" and child abuse?
Sadly, little "smacks" have often escalated long before things are out of control. Parents convicted of seriously assaulting their children often explain that the ill-treatment began as "ordinary" punishment. As loving families and as society as a whole, we need to draw a line and say that all smacking/hitting is wrong.
Physical punishment can hurt emotionally too. It is perverse and harmful to confuse love and pain by saying: "I smack you because I love you. "There is no such thing as a "loving smack".
Wouldn't law reform mean prosecuting parents?
Adults are not prosecuted for "minor" assaults and this would also apply to parents. There already exists adequate means to prevent unwarranted or unhelpful prosecutions. Research from other countries shows that parents seek help earlier when they recognise that hitting their children is socially and legally unacceptable. Law reform is about setting high standards for the care and protection of children and changing attitudes, not about prosecuting or dividing families.
For information about countries where corporal punishment has been banned visit the website of the Global Initiative to End All Corporal Punishment of Children:
http://www.endcorporalpunishment.org