Corporal Punishment

I'm running late today simply because this topic does not lend itself well to my usual check the topic and start typing methodology. This one requires a bit more thought.

I'm making an assumption - which as we all know can be dangerous - that Ashok is referencing corporal punishment towards children .  Its a hot topic in many places.

When I was in school corporal punishment ((AKA paddling) was allowed. I personally never encountered it.  No - I was not a saint - I was just lucky. My transgressions were typically in physical education (PE) classes and so my punishment took the form of  running laps or doing push ups.

The issue is whether or not corporal punishment works.  Does it change a child's behavior in the manner intended or does it contribute to a myriad of developmental and behavioral issues down the road. Is the child conditioned to behave better ala a pavlovian dog? Personally I suspect kids are smarter than dogs and simply resent the hell out of being paddled although I am sure a small percentage fears the punishment enough  to alter their behavior.  Fear is after all a primary motivator at least here in western society - populated by so many god-fearing people. Maybe4 the trickle down theory is at work here.  Ahem.

I suspect those who believe never hitting a child are also in the group that believe winning and losing - and learning how to do both - is not a good thing.  Considering that seems to have been started by my generation - the Baby Boomers - I'd like to ask them how they think that has worked for them.

Corporal punishment in schools should not happen but that requires parents to assume the responsibility for raising their kids.  All to often these days  parents see school as simply daily day care. They send undisciplined kids to school and act incredulous when little johnny or janey are called out in school for their bad behavior. It must be the teacher's fault. Frankly I am surprised anyone wants to be a teacher these days.

Corporal punishment in the home is acceptable to me - as long as it is not excessive.  But here where I lice a teenager can have a parent arrested for assault if they are spanked. Another case of ridiculous so-called "progressive thinking"

Bottom line - corporal punishment in schools is NOT ok.   At home - within reasonable limits it is. Sometimes smacking a toddlers hand when he/she plays with an electrical plug makes more sense than trying to reason with a child whose faculties to reason are not developed.

That's a shack-take on today's subject.