Quote:
Originally Posted by dlish
Should parents be allowed to smack their kids?
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Absolutely not. Physical assault is bad enough when committed against an adult capable of defending his or herself. It's much, much worse when committed against a child who cannot defend his or herself and instinctively trusts the person who's doing the slapping. It's entirely unacceptable and should be prohibited by the law and by society at large as physical assault of the worst kind.
In addition, based on everything I learned about child development both from college and from experience, using negative reinforcement in the form of anger-filled physical violence teaches children some very harmful lessons. It is linked to increased aggression and using violence to solve problems, and it's also teaching children that when one is angry, one should react physically to that anger. I cannot imagine worse lessons for a child.
So firm is this belief, that when I see a parent spank a child in public, I feel compelled to peacefully intervene.