Short Topics

When watching a movie, a familiar catchphrase is “We don’t need words, we need action!”  The same applies for disciplining a child.  Spanking most effectively disciplines a child for doing something wrong and prevents him or her from repeating the action.

Young children can comprehend actions better than they can words.  How else would different races that don’t use a common language communicate with each other?  When training a dog to sit, the word “sit” is usually accompanied by a pat on the rear so the dog can understand the command better.  Now don’t get me wrong.  I’m not comparing your child to a dog.  People also learn new languages this way.  In Spanish class, I could easily learn verbs when we participated in acting out each one and repeating it.  Slightly harsher methods are sometimes necessary when enforcing rules and manners.  Spanking usually helps trigger children’s memories better than repeatedly telling them “no.”  I was spanked as a kid, usually by my father and occasionally (reluctantly) by my mother.  I was caught jumping on the bed after being told not to and was spanked by my dad.  I learned not to jump on the bed extremely quickly because of that spanking.  However, spanking wasn’t used to enforce a very important rule: look both ways before you cross the street.  One day, roudy and carefree, I “forgot” to check the street.  Luckily, there were no cars nearby.  My mom very, very sternly told me I had better look both ways next time unless I wanted to get run over.  Well, the next time I crossed the street, I “forgot” again and was nearly hit.  We’re not always this lucky and not enforcing morals and standards can result in smart-aleck adolescents who “forget” to follow the rules.

For as long as we can remember, spanking has been used as a method of effectively telling our kids “no.”  However, as the years have progressed, some are defining spanking as a form of child abuse.  I ,however, do not agree with the current assumption.  Parents have the right to raise their kids however they want, even if a swat to the behind is needed.

Spanking should only be used as a method of showing young children yes and no.  I agree that other ways to discipline a child exists, but sometimes a harsher method needs to be enforced.  Spanking is only appropriate at certain ages and times.  Spanking is most appropriate with children 2 to 6 years old and when milder types of correction have failed (The Minnesota Family Council).  Spanking doesn’t work for everyone.  There are many factors that could determine the results, but that doesn’t make spanking wrong.

If spanking is a form of child abuse, why is this “violent” method now becoming an issue?  50 years ago, almost all children were spanked (Paul).  As time passes, technology increases, and parents are becoming more and more lenient, making this traditional form of discipline seem harsher than it really is.  Spanking may be getting more and more out of hand, but parents, with increasing knowledge, should know the limits between disciplining their child and abusing them. 

A spanking is a form of discipline that helps teach a child right and wrong.  Spanking is not wrong unless taken too far.  Parents that don’t know the difference between discipline and a beating should not be parents in the first place.  If a parent loves a child, they will take the time to discipline their child correctly, whether they choose to spank them or not.

Claim: Spanking is an acceptable form of discipline.

Data: The dictionary definition of a spanking is a beating with the back of the hand to someone’s rear, given as a punishment. 

Warrant: Since spanking is only a swat to the backside, which is not abuse, and is not a harmful treatment to a child, then spanking children is okay.

Backing: The dictionary definition of abuse is the physical, psychological, and sexual maltreatment of a person or animal.  Also, a beating is a punishment in which someone is repeatedly hit.  Since a spanking is used as a punishment, and is not maltreatment, then it is not abuse and is acceptable.

Qualifier: Sometimes someone does not know the line between a spanking and child abuse, but most of the time, parents know when a child is being punished and when they are experiencing unfair pain.

Rebuttal: Even though spanking works for some parents in distinguishing the meaning of right and wrong, there are other forms of punishment and raising a child.  Spanking may or may not be effective for a parent, but spanking is not abuse and is a suitable means of discipline.