WHAT SPANKING DOES FOR KIDS
 

WHAT SPANKING DOES FOR KIDS
From Irwin A. Hyman, The Case Against Spanking: How to Discipline Your
Child Without Hitting, (1997), pp. 58-62.

Dr. Hyman is director of the National Center for Study of Corporal
Punishment and Alternatives and professor of school psychology at
Temple University. He has made numerous appearances on national
television shows such as Oprah, Good Morning America, and the Today
show. ...

.... While the prospankers interpret the lack of research on the harmful
effects of spanking with preschoolers as proof that it is OK, I
disagree and maintain that there is no reason to ever hit a child. My
summary of the research and the clinical experience of over 30 years
follows:

*

Corporal punishment should not be used in schools, since there is
convincing evidence that it is a significant contributing factor to
emotional, legal and social problems.

*

Frequent and harsh spanking is consistently found to be present
in the lives of boys who are aggressive and disobedient, who lie,
cheat, are destructive with their own and others' belongings, and who
associate with friends prone to delinquency.

*

Frequent and harsh spankings can cause young children to bottle
up their feelings of fear, anger, and hostility. In later life these
children are unusually prone to suicidal thoughts, suicide, and
depression.

*

Despite the age or gender of the child, the family's social class
or ethnicity, whether the child was hit frequently or rarely, severely
or mildly, whether there were high or low levels of interaction and
affection in the home, and regardless of the degree to which specific
situational variables may have mitigated the effects of the punishment,
spanking consistently contributes to lowered self-esteem.

*

In toddlers, many punitive approaches, including spanking, do not
result in compliance, but end simply with the administration of
punishment. (Studies show that preschoolers who are hit are more likely
to be more impulsive and aggressive than those who are not spanked.
Furthermore, toddlers can be taught, using behavioral techniques such
as associating their word for pain with the street or electrical
outlets, to avoid those dangerous situations. Childproofing the house
and monitoring toddlers will avoid the so-called necessity of spanking
to teach children to avoid danger.)

*

Children who are physically punished are more likely to grow up
approving of it and using it to settle interpersonal conflicts. Even
children who have experienced "normal" spankings are almost three times
as likely to seriously assault a sibling, compared to children who were
not physically disciplined.

*

Contrary to popular belief, studies of corporal punishment in
schools indicate that it is not used as a last resort. In fact, it is
too often the first punishment for nonviolent and minor misbehaviors.
Beatings for minor misbehaviors can cause many stress symptoms in
children.

*

Younger children are hit most often; spanking slowly decreases
until late adolescence. This contributes to feelings of helplessness,
and resentment that may lead to withdrawal or aggression toward
caregivers.

*

Boys are hit much more frequently than girls, thereby sustaining
sexual stereotypes.

* In schools, minority and poor white children receive "lickings"
four to five times more frequently than middle- and upper-class white
children. This contributes to racism and classism in our society.

*

Regional comparisons show that the highest proportion of corporal
punishment in America occurs in states of the South and Southwest.
Florida, Arkansas and Alabama have consistently been among the leaders
in the frequency of hitting schoolchildren. It is unreasonable and
unfair that children's location should determine the degree to which
they may be legally victimized.

*

Corporally punished schoolchildren, especially those with
emotional and academic disabilities, have suffered all types of
injuries including welts, hematomas, damage to almost all external and
many internal body parts, and death.

*

Studies demonstrate that eliminating corporal punishment does not
increase misbehavior in home or school. Systematic use of positive
alternatives, however, has been shown to decrease misbehavior
significantly. ...




http://www.nospank.net/hyman2.htm

WHAT SPANKING DOES FOR KIDS
 

So why do parents continually not only want their perceived "right" to
discipline by hitting, but also become so incredibly verbally abusive on
this ng when challenged about their perceptions? Why would anyone want
to hit children when disciplining, other than out of anger and and a
need for revenge?

I've heard arguments that parents know no alternatives. I don't buy the
argument. I have known and worked with parents that learned to decrease
and even eliminate all spanking as they gained information about the
harmful effects of spanking. I've watched these parents form a closer
bond with their children, and become more functional as a family. None
of these families, even in the most dire of circumstances, had no
alternatives other than hitting their children when they "disobeyed."
They simply believed that spanking was necessary, or they acted out of
anger and a need for power and revenge.

LaVonne

0:- wrote:
WHAT SPANKING DOES FOR KIDS
From Irwin A. Hyman, The Case Against Spanking: How to Discipline Your
Child Without Hitting, (1997), pp. 58-62.

Dr. Hyman is director of the National Center for Study of Corporal
Punishment and Alternatives and professor of school psychology at
Temple University. He has made numerous appearances on national
television shows such as Oprah, Good Morning America, and the Today
show. ...

... While the prospankers interpret the lack of research on the harmful
effects of spanking with preschoolers as proof that it is OK, I
disagree and maintain that there is no reason to ever hit a child. My
summary of the research and the clinical experience of over 30 years
follows:

*

Corporal punishment should not be used in schools, since there is
convincing evidence that it is a significant contributing factor to
emotional, legal and social problems.

*

Frequent and harsh spanking is consistently found to be present
in the lives of boys who are aggressive and disobedient, who lie,
cheat, are destructive with their own and others' belongings, and who
associate with friends prone to delinquency.

*

Frequent and harsh spankings can cause young children to bottle
up their feelings of fear, anger, and hostility. In later life these
children are unusually prone to suicidal thoughts, suicide, and
depression.

*

Despite the age or gender of the child, the family's social class
or ethnicity, whether the child was hit frequently or rarely, severely
or mildly, whether there were high or low levels of interaction and
affection in the home, and regardless of the degree to which specific
situational variables may have mitigated the effects of the punishment,
spanking consistently contributes to lowered self-esteem.

*

In toddlers, many punitive approaches, including spanking, do not
result in compliance, but end simply with the administration of
punishment. (Studies show that preschoolers who are hit are more likely
to be more impulsive and aggressive than those who are not spanked.
Furthermore, toddlers can be taught, using behavioral techniques such
as associating their word for pain with the street or electrical
outlets, to avoid those dangerous situations. Childproofing the house
and monitoring toddlers will avoid the so-called necessity of spanking
to teach children to avoid danger.)

*

Children who are physically punished are more likely to grow up
approving of it and using it to settle interpersonal conflicts. Even
children who have experienced "normal" spankings are almost three times
as likely to seriously assault a sibling, compared to children who were
not physically disciplined.

*

Contrary to popular belief, studies of corporal punishment in
schools indicate that it is not used as a last resort. In fact, it is
too often the first punishment for nonviolent and minor misbehaviors.
Beatings for minor misbehaviors can cause many stress symptoms in
children.

*

Younger children are hit most often; spanking slowly decreases
until late adolescence. This contributes to feelings of helplessness,
and resentment that may lead to withdrawal or aggression toward
caregivers.

*

Boys are hit much more frequently than girls, thereby sustaining
sexual stereotypes.

* In schools, minority and poor white children receive "lickings"
four to five times more frequently than middle- and upper-class white
children. This contributes to racism and classism in our society.

*

Regional comparisons show that the highest proportion of corporal
punishment in America occurs in states of the South and Southwest.
Florida, Arkansas and Alabama have consistently been among the leaders
in the frequency of hitting schoolchildren. It is unreasonable and
unfair that children's location should determine the degree to which
they may be legally victimized.

*

Corporally punished schoolchildren, especially those with
emotional and academic disabilities, have suffered all types of
injuries including welts, hematomas, damage to almost all external and
many internal body parts, and death.

*

Studies demonstrate that eliminating corporal punishment does not
increase misbehavior in home or school. Systematic use of positive
alternatives, however, has been shown to decrease misbehavior
significantly. ...




http://www.nospank.net/hyman2.htm

WHAT SPANKING DOES FOR KIDS
 

Carlson LaVonne wrote:
So why do parents continually not only want their perceived "right" to
discipline by hitting, but also become so incredibly verbally abusive on
this ng when challenged about their perceptions?

Kane, AKA Donald L. Fisher of Oregon actually brags
about the fact he posted OBSCENITY in the newsgroups
for over an entire YEAR.

WHAT SPANKING DOES FOR KIDS
 

Greegor wrote:
Carlson LaVonne wrote:
So why do parents continually not only want their perceived "right" to
discipline by hitting, but also become so incredibly verbally abusive on
this ng when challenged about their perceptions?

Kane, AKA Donald L. Fisher of Oregon actually brags
about the fact he posted OBSCENITY in the newsgroups
for over an entire YEAR.

LaVonne, did I ever use obscenity with you when, for the first two
years here, I disagreed adamantly with your advocacy for a law against
the use of CP?

Greg, why claim that I posted obscenity (you have, by the way) without
mentioning to whom and why?

Afraid to discuss the support Fern gave to the "preacher" and his
"rights" being violated, when that same preacher had already confessed
to and been convicted for savagely beating a 17 year old girl for more
than 20 minutes until she was bloody from the 'whipping' he gave her
for sassing and "trying to take over the church?"

The same preacher involved in the "suspend them and beat them with
objects," case, the same one that urged his followers for their right
to BEAT, that right, THE RIGHT TO BEAT, the children of church members?

YOU never spoke up against this practice, Greg. Do you think possibly
that when I address those that don't just advocate spanking, but in
fact ADVOCATE BEATINGS that it might be more than appropriate to get
their attention with some strong lanaguage?

Are you such a panty you can't handle that?

Everytime you bring it up it's very obvious you are using it as a
dodge.

Notice the question that LaVonne brings up?

Are you incapable of arguing the topic?

Thanks for your timely response, AH.

By the way, you ever read any of Michael's posts to "Don?"

How about Dennis' socks posts to Kane or Don?

R R R R R RR RR Kinda got a double standard, don'tcha boy?

But then that's pretty standard for the rabid child beating perverts,
now isn't it?

Kane 0:-]