Alex.
I understand your concerns, and was smacked as a child with no ill effects whatsoever. But this is a hugely complex issue. There is a rise in the numbers of children who are suffering physical, sexual and emotional abuse and it doesn’t always come from the parents. The physical punishment of a child may still have a place in today’s society, but how is it governed? Who decides what should be the stopping point? When a slap on the legs turns into a slap in the face turns into a punch turns into a kick turns into torture? I have witnessed these escalating levels of violence which often go unchecked in a society which condones corporal punishment. For a professional it is sometimes easy to spot when the corporal punishment has gone past the readily accepted norm. There are clues and indicators to be found both in the child’s behaviour and in physical evidence if one knows how to look. But not always.
I am not a parent but I would support a ban on smacking. My Dad never once smacked me, he never needed to. A look or the tone of voice was more than sufficient.
Discipline in schools is a different matter altogether and reflects a growing lack of discipline and respect throughout society. I think it’s a sad fact that corporal punishment will do nothing to alter that. I have worked as an educator and never found class/group discipline to be a problem as long as the students are actively engaged in the learning process. Maybe that is the answer, maybe not.
I have seen, and had to deal, with the results of physical, sexual and emotional abuse of children first hand and they were truly horrifying experiences. If a ban on smacking stops just one child going through some of the traumas I have witnessed, then I believe it is the right thing to do.
Not a popular opinion I know, but one born of experience.
Regards,
kev35
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