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"If spanking worked parenting would be easy." California lawmaker has introduced a bill that would outlaw spanking with children ages 4 and under.



 
 
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Old February 11th 07, 11:04 PM posted to alt.parenting.spanking
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Default "If spanking worked parenting would be easy." California lawmaker has introduced a bill that would outlaw spanking with children ages 4 and under.


http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/527245/

ROUNDUP: Spanking Children

One California lawmaker has introduced a bill that would outlaw
spanking with children ages 4 and under. If the bill becomes law,
parents could be charged with a misdemeanor punishable by a year in
jail or a fine of up to $1,000, making California the first state with
such a law. The use of physical punishment to discipline children is
already illegal in Austria, Finland, Germany and Sweden. Following are
experts in law, parenting and child development who can comment:

**1. LYNNE REEVES GRIFFIN, RN, M.Ed, is the author of the forthcoming
book, "Negotiation Generation: Take Back Your Parental Authority
Without Punishment!" (Penguin, 2007), and teaches at the Graduate
School of Social Work and Family Studies at WHEELOCK COLLEGE: "I'm an
advocate of proactive discipline methods that influence behavior, not
reactive means of punishment aimed at controlling behavior. Parents
rarely get frustrated by behavior that happens once; what raises
emotional stakes are the same old mealtime, bedtime, homework
problems. Children's behavior is predictable, and if parents can
predict challenging behavior, they can prevent it. When parents learn
about development and temperament, they can predict, and therefore
prevent, predictable behavior better, too." Griffin is a weekly
parenting contributor for Boston's Fox 25 Morning News and is a
frequent radio and television guest expert. Griffin:
Phone: +1-781-545-6585 Web site: http://
www.LynneGriffin.com (2/9/07)

**2. CARLETON KENDRICK, Ed.M., LCSW, author of "Take Out Your Nose
Ring, Honey, We're Going to Grandma's" (Unlimited Publishing LLC), is
a licensed family therapist, noted national speaker and social
commentator: "Congresswoman Sally Lieber's anti-spanking legislation
is well-intentioned but ill-conceived and virtually unenforceable.
It's unconscionable to remove parents from the home and incarcerate
them because they were caught spanking their children by somebody with
a camera phone. That's what Lieber's legislation would allow if a
parent were caught spanking their kids a second time. Research
overwhelmingly gives spanking low marks as a successful child
discipline technique. Spanking teaches kids to fear their parents and
the hurt they may inflict upon them. There are many creative,
disciplinary options to spanking kids. I hope this legislation
revitalizes a national debate regarding our states that still allow
schools to hit children, and our domestic violence laws that prohibit
spouses hitting one another but allow parents to hit their kids if
it's considered a 'reasonable' disciplinary response." Kendrick has
been named by Family PC magazine as the best Internet expert on
parenting teens. Kendrick: : Phone: +1-508-376-9078
(2/9/07)

**3. ANDREW GROGAN-KAYLOR is an assistant professor in the UNIVERSITY
OF MICHIGAN's School of Social Work. His recent findings suggest that
"corporal punishment may be part of a parenting style with lesser
amounts of positive parenting practices. To reduce the use of physical
punishment, it may be beneficial to focus on interventions that teach
parents to increase the amount of intellectual stimulation in the
home." Grogan-Kaylor: +1-734-615-3369 News Contact: Jared Wadley,
Phone: +1-734- 936-7819 Web site: http://
http://www.ns.umich.edu/htdocs/relea...ry.php?id=3121 (2/9/07)

**4. MICHAEL H. POPKIN, Ph.D., author of "Taming the Spirited
Child" (Fireside/Simon & Schuster, 2007): "In light of the proposed
California legislation on fining and punishing parents who spank their
children under the age of three, here are eight good reasons not to
spank: It is easy for an enraged parent to cross the line from
spanking to abusing. Spanking usually leads to more misbehavior.
Spanking models aggressive behavior. Spanking can damage your
relationship with your child. Spanking is out of step with the times.
Spanking often leaves the parent feeling guilty. If spanking worked,
parenting would be easy. There are many more effective methods of
discipline." Popkin is best known as the pioneer of video-based parent
education with the introduction of The Active Parenting Discussion
Program in 1983. Since then, millions of parents have completed his
parenting courses, including the best- selling "Active Parenting Now"
and "Active Parenting of Teens." A frequent keynote speaker and media
guest, Popkin has appeared on hundreds of shows, including "The Oprah
Winfrey Show" and "The Montel Williams Show," and as a regular
parenting expert on CNN. News Contact: Jessica C. Napp,
Phone: +1-212-698-4665 Web site:
http://www.activeparenting.com (2/9/07)

**5. MURRAY STRAUS is co-director of the FAMILY RESEARCH LABORATORY
and professor of sociology at the UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE. He is
widely considered the foremost researcher in his field: "Two main
objections of opponents to the bill are that spanking is sometimes
necessary and the law is an unprecedented example of government
interference. These objections are not accurate representations of the
scientific evidence on the effectiveness and side effects of spanking.
They also are historically inaccurate about government interference in
the family. The California proposal has two major problems. First, it
applies only to children three and younger. Therefore it has the
ironic implication of endorsing the hitting of older children. Second,
it would do the very thing it wants parents not to do -- use harsh
punishment to correct misbehavior. A better model is the 1979 Swedish
no-spanking law, which has no criminal penalty and has proven very
effective." News Contact: Lori Wright, , Phone
+1-603-862-0574 (2/9/07)

**6. KERSTIN POTTER, director of the Early Childhood Education Program
at ARCUM COLLEGE in Bryn Mawr, Pa.: "Here are three reasons not to use
spanking: 1. It doesn't work. Children will put in a big effort to
avoid being caught rather than learn to do the positive behavior. 2.
It teaches children the wrong thing. The role modeling teaches: 'If
you want to get a message across, hit someone.' 3. It may reinforce
'bad' behavior and become a tool in a power struggle: 'If you want the
full attention of an adult, do what irks them until they lose control
and hit you.' This puts the child in control of the situation and will
make the child want to do it again and again. And of course, it
hurts!" Potter:
Phone: +1-610-526-6115 News
Contact: Lisa Mixon,
Phone: +1-610-526-6148 (2/9/07)

**7. VICKI PANACCIONE, Ph.D., licensed child psychologist and founder
of the BETTER PARENTING INSTITUTE: "My passion is to bring joy and
fulfillment to the parent/child relationship. Spanking is the
antithesis; creating a parent/child relationship based in fear.
Spanking teaches kids that physical aggression is an acceptable way to
deal with anger, disapproval and frustration. As a child psychologist,
I feel that there are far more effective methods of discipline that
help children develop self-control without developing aggressive
tendencies." Panaccione:
Phone: +1-321-722-
9001 Cell: +1-321-795-9218 Web site: http://
www.BetterParentingInstitute.com (2/9/07)

**8. JOAN BRAMSCH is founder of EMPOWEREDPARENT.COM, a parenting Web
site that serves families in 88 countries, and author of "Teach Me,
I'm Yours: Success for Your Unique Child." She is also a parent,
grandparent, writer of both parenting and children's materials, and an
educator: "This bill is a mistake. There are already laws against
child abuse. A beating and a smack on the backside don't compare. If
spanked sans anger, the message is 'You can't act like this!' Not a
bad thing, in my opinion. Not every parent knows how. My book can
help. Parent fatigue can cause impatience. All parents get tired.
Parents today talk too much. The child debates and never learns that
unacceptable behavior has consequences. Some children act like
stubborn donkeys and parents have to get his attention first."
Bramsch: Phone: +1-314-638-3404 Web
site:
http://www.joanbramsch.com (2/9/07)

**9. DR. LINDA PEARSON, a family nurse practitioner and a family
psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, has counseled children
and their families for over 30 years. She is the author of "The
Discipline Miracle: The Clinically Proven System for Raising Happy,
Healthy, and Well-Behaved Kids" (AMACOM Books): "Most parents struggle
over spanking perhaps more than any other parenting issue. Spanking
should never serve as a parent's primary or sole form of discipline.
However, to outlaw the generic word or concept of 'spanking' is
ridiculous." Pearson is a frequent speaker and writer on behavioral
problems and difficult parenting situations. She also has her own
advice column, "Ask Dr. Linda: Parenting and Discipline Tips for
Families," in the American Journal for Nurse Practitioners. Pearson
has very strong views about spanking and about the current discussion
about making spanking against the law. News Contact: Irene Majuk,
Phone: +1-212-903-8087 (2/9/07)

**10. ROBERT R. BUTTERWORTH, Ph.D., child psychologist at
INTERNATIONAL TRAUMA ASSOCIATES in Los Angeles: "There is a difference
between spanking appropriately and corporal punishment, and most
parents know this. Laws that try to ban all forms of spanking treat
parents like child abusers and do not really help children. The
majority of parents do not abuse their children, and this law is not
needed." Butterworth:
Phone: +1-213- 487-7339
(2/9/07)

**11. DR. VIRGINIA SHILLER, a licensed clinical psychologist and
author of the book "Rewards for Kids! Ready-to-Use Charts & Activities
for Positive Parenting" (American Psychological Association, 2003)
[Spanish translation: "Recompensas Para Ninos Por Buen
Comportamiento" (Jorge Pinto Books, 2007)]: "Spanking is simply not an
effective tool, and has risks of modeling aggressive behavior.
Behavior is much better changed by reinforcing the preferred
behaviors, modeling good behavior, reasoning with children (when they
have the ability), and providing mild consequences for misbehavior.
Sometimes distraction is all a toddler needs. The legislation proposes
punishments (time in jail or monetary fines) that are too harsh for
the 'crime,' may actually hurt children, and, ironically, just like
spanking, they do not teach positive ways of behaving. Better to send
parents to a parenting class. The proposed legislation might
disproportionately punish members of minority groups, and,
interestingly, there is research that suggests that the correlates of
physical punishment differ among ethnic groups." Shiller has been
quoted by writers for Child, Parents, Parenting, Woman's Day, First
for Women, Woman's World, People, The New York Times, and Newsday.
Shiller:
Phone: +1-203-776-3681 Cell:
+1-203-415-7160 Web sites:
http://www.rewardsforkids.com and http://
www.recompensasparaninos.com (2/9/07)

**12. DR. KRISTY HAGAR, a child psychologist and mother of two, sees
patients at CHILDREN'S MEDICAL CENTER DALLAS and can comment on the
most appropriate methods of disciplining children: "Spanking, in most
cases, is not the best way to discipline a child, and I instead prefer
other methods, like time-outs and taking away/providing incentives."
News Contact: Jessica Chapman, Phone:
+1-214-456-5318 (2/9/07)

**13. JO ANN BOLTINGHOUSE, a self-esteem educator and author of
"YolandaBaby: A Pooch Finds Her Purpose": "I believe that spanking
should be banned. It is not an effective way to discipline. It models
to children that anger and frustration can be solved by physically
hurting someone. Often the physical is accompanied by verbal abuse and
again sends the wrong signals of what is appropriate behavior in
expressing anger and frustration. What is the answer? The parents must
become parents -- not best buddies. They must be the example of proper
and appropriate behavior. They must set the rules, determine the
consequences and communicate this to the child. Then they must stick
to the consequences. If the child grows up knowing they are
responsible for their choices, discipline becomes much easier."
Boltinghouse can talk about spanking, in addition to many more topics
that are prevalent to the children of today, such as building self-
esteem, bullying at school and peer pressure. News Contact: Julia
Wouk,
Phone: +1-760-929-1111 Web site: http://
www.yolandababy.com (2/9/07)

**14. MINDY YORK, co-owner of BABY OTTER SWIM SCHOOL in Ft.
Lauderdale, Fla., works with children every day and speaks to water
safety and offering children choices: "When we get them into the water
and they learn our rules, they become different kids and the parents
offer us money to take us home and help them. The reality is you
should never need to raise a hand to a child because it only teaches
them these techniques in handling life situations, and then, taking it
to their children, it becomes a learned behavior that is passed on. A
better solution is to offer choices in the matter at hand and make
them pick one, and, of course, either choice works for the parent.
Children feel a sense of power and, in retrospect, we can deal with
either choice." News Contact: Michelle Tennant, ,
Phone: +1-828-749-3200 Web site: http://
www.babyotterswimschool.presskit247.com (2/9/07)

**15. LISA EARLE MCLEOD, syndicated humor columnist and author of the
upcoming "Finding Grace When You Can't Find Clean Underwear," takes a
compassionate approach to this topic: "I've got two daughters, and
I've been tempted to spank many times, but then I think about how I
would feel if my 10- foot-tall boss took me into the copy room and
swatted me on the backside with a ruler. The problem with spanking is
that you're inclined to do it when you're tired, frustrated and angry,
which is the worst time to use physical force. Losing control of
yourself is never an effective way to get control of a child. The goal
is for them to learn to control themselves, and spanking only makes
them feel powerless." News Contact: Michelle Tennant,
Phone: +1-828-749-3200. Web site: http://
www.lisaearlemcleod.presskit247.com

**16. DR. JANET SQUIRES, a pediatrician and director of the Child
Advocacy Center at CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OF PITTSBURGH, is an excellent
resource for reporters looking for an expert on the spanking issue.
Squires leads a team of pediatricians at Children's that investigates
and evaluates all reports of child abuse, neglect, maltreatment, etc.
She has spoken with print and broadcast reporters on this subject and
is very comfortable talking with reporters. News Contact: Marc
Lukasiak, Phone: +1-412- 692-7919 or
+1-412-692-5016 (2/9/07)

 




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