Corporal Punishment - Should We Bring It Back?

Should corporal punishment be re-introduced for kids in schools?

I have been thinking about this for a few days now, and was also wondering what fellow ATSers opinions are and your thoughts.

I have to say that the recent riots and looting has brought this topic up with friends and relatives of mine, and the feeling is that many are in favour of corporal punishment for disruptive and unruly kids. We all chatted about our days at school when respect for others was demanded and expected of us, and the consequences of non-compliance were swift, sharp and short .... and painful. For talking in class we could expect an on-the-spot clip around the ear, or a blackboard eraser bouncing off our skull, or for something more serious like talking back to the teacher and being disruptive, it was a few well delivered strokes of the dreaded cane from the headmaster.

I have to say during those days I recall the majority of kids at school were very well behaved, excepting for two or three individuals who had well-earned and justified reputations for being in trouble. Teachers weren't scared of the kids like they are now, it was unheard of for a kid in class to attack a teacher, we wouldn't dare to. But that was when I was at school, I left school in 1974.

Was it the threat that we risked a keen smack up the head if we misbehaved? I think so. It was that threat which made me behave, for sure.

Should parents and teachers be allowed to chastise and discipline kids with a smack when they step out of line?

When my son was 11 years old he began hanging around with a boy the same age, and I found out they had been starting fires in bins on a park area. I was furious and grounded him for a month, extra chores but no extra pocket money, bed early, etc. This happened on a couple of occasions and I had warned him if there was a repeat he was going to get a hiding. I carried out my threat and he had a whacking he never forgot. He never put a foot wrong after that.

Would he have carried on with the fire-starting and got progressively worse if I hadn't given him a hiding? I think he would. I think the hiding stopped him in his tracks, nothing else worked anyway.

Does corporal punishment work? Should we bring it back?

Your thoughts? Opinions?

Instead of beating the kids, let's use it on Parents and you've got my vote.

Sorry, I don't think that anyone but me should ever lay a hand on my child. I also believe that if my child deserves a hand laid on them, then I failed as a parent and deserve the punishment more than my child.

anybody lays a hand on my child gets their ass handed to them.

I'll tell the cops, the judge, the governor, I don't care. yes, I understand I would be in theory reacting to violence with violence, but as a primate, my primary instinct is to protect my offspring

and seeing as my knickname is mongo, don't go there, lol

Corporal Punishment(CP)? For schools? No. For parents? Hell yeah. Let us raise our damn kids man. The school calls, we deal with it. Sometimes only CP can get through to a kid. That's assuming that the parents actually care. Some don't.

I think corporal punishment would be appropriate if when and adult teacher, staff or administrator are also beaten for any of their infractions. Such as DUI, spousal abuse, stealing, cheating, etc.

No preferential treatment for authority figures.

edit...as others have said..even though I don't have any kids..if anyone lays a hand on any of my loved ones, I just might kill them.

no, corporal punishment should not be bought back. if you had said national service then i would agree, from the age of 10-18 but only if the person in question has or is commiting crime, instead of sending then to a youth offenders institue, sentance them to so long doing national service.

if it does not work by the time they are 18 then prision it is. nobody should fear school and often teachers get the wrong culprit.

I was paddled while I was in school so I really see no problem in it. Because they gave us a choice we paddle you or we can call your parents and let them do it. I always chose the teacher because my mom paddled harder than him and also no grounding afterward.

"Should parents and teachers be allowed to chastise and discipline kids with a smack when they step out of line?" Yup. Back in those days where people were of the same "culture", spanking the hands for clearer penmanship was the "norm".

"Does corporal punishment work? Should we bring it back?" Yup. Yup. Kids can be trained to "behave" with punishment because verbal punishment doesn't seem to work. Once the kids get too old, controlling their unruly behavior will be much harder.

I get that you are trying to find a solution to a clear urgent problem.
But I don't agree with the idea of direct violence and fear being useful in raising a civilized, conscious and rational human being.
I was NEVER hit by anyone as a child. Because my parents knew that I actually had a brain.
So they raised me rationally, not by fear.
They taught me values, they showed me how cooperation is better than competition, they made me understand that everyone around me is as human as I am, with fears, dreams, desires, ups and downs.
And they only laid one rule for me: Never do to others what you wouldn't want done to you.
And I got it, being a kid.
Now as an adult, I see that they were right. And that they'd gave me a kind of freedom that you can't buy.
Cheers.
Drakus

Originally posted by pikypiky
Once the kids get too old, controlling their unruly behavior will be much harder.

And who's fault is that? Spank your kids and go to jail? Or lose your kids? What type of BS is that? 4 very good questions imo. Just for perspectives sake:

LANGUAGE WARNING!

Originally posted by sbctinfantry
Instead of beating the kids, let's use it on Parents and you've got my vote.

Sorry, I don't think that anyone but me should ever lay a hand on my child. I also believe that if my child deserves a hand laid on them, then I failed as a parent and deserve the punishment more than my child.

I have to agree with you that I wouldn't have anyone touch my kids either.

But what about parents giving their kids a smack if they think it's needed? Parents are committing a crime nowdays if they smack their wayward kids. How would any of you deal with a son who was lighting fires as in my son's case?

Why are parents being blamed for their badly behaved and anti-social kids? Grounding and taking their things away won't work on a lot of kids, but parents will find themselves in court if they use CP.

No. From my own experience, words taught me more than any crack I got from my parents. Personally, by giving a kid a crack for doing something, that will give them credence to be more rebellious and unruly. It could also give that kid an idea that hurting someone else is okay, such as a wife, son, or animal when it is absolutely not. And also, if the wrong person begins using these tactics, it could lead from one thing to ANOTHER.

~ Zack

Only if implemented by the childs parents no one else has the right to strike a child but they do have the right to diassociate(expel) an unruluy one. -

If a kindergarden age child has not learned to respect and listen to adults it should be turned back to the parents.
Teachers should not have to be animal trainers also.
By age four the childshould at leat know how to listen to a respected adult (with permission of the parent) their alpabet and to count to 100... if they know how to add andsubtract that would be a plus but not expected at that age.

Originally posted by doobydoll

Originally posted by sbctinfantry
Sorry, I don't think that anyone but me should ever lay a hand on my child. I also believe that if my child deserves a hand laid on them, then I failed as a parent and deserve the punishment more than my child.

I have to agree with you that I wouldn't have anyone touch my kids either.

But what about parents giving their kids a smack if they think it's needed? Parents are committing a crime nowdays if they smack their wayward kids. How would any of you deal with a son who was lighting fires as in my son's case?

Why are parents being blamed for their badly behaved and anti-social kids? Grounding and taking their things away won't work on a lot of kids, but parents will find themselves in court if they use CP.

I DO punish my children when they are wrong, but I also sit them down and talk to them and try to make them understand why they were punished. That doesn't mean I always resort to spanking, but when it involves something dangerous or on the same level of seriousness ther are times I use it.

Most of the time I try to give my kids the chance to do the right thing, and talk about it whether they do the right or wrong thing. Lessons don't always need to be taught after a negative experience.

As for your child burning things, it seems that he is using fire as an outlet for some emotions he can't express any other way. I would suggest talkin about it more and if that doesn't work, counseling. Usually a good kid won't do something if they think it will directly hurt a person or animal. If your child is doing these things knowing he will possibly hurt someone or destroy a habitat for an animal, then he has some serious issues that will require not only counseling, but an alternative outlet for his emotions and urges.

My daughter has a small obsession with knives. She is five years old, and very intelligent for her age. After catching her doing the wrong thing a few times, we sat down and talked and both came to the conclusion that it was time to teach her how to use a butter knife. I bought some plastic knives and told her that if she is caught with a metal one ( for obvious reasons ) that her privelage will dissapear. She is only allowed to use them for dinner, even if that means cutting her macaroni and cheese, or "cutting" up her soup.

If you want my advice, I would suggest getting a grill and having your child help you light it. You might barbecue a lot more, and you also might find that you're beginning to bond with your child in ways you never have before. If the child feels that you are willing to bend the rules for them a little bit, they will feel much closer and connected, as well as understood.

I'm not child psychologist, I'm just a dad of two and right now killing time with my wife who's in the Labor and Delivery wing. She's probably going to pop in about 2 weeks, but is having complications. I've been there and done that when it comes to young children, and I have a younger brother who is 18 to police up since my father is going through dialysis every other day, with diabetes, an infected foot, and awaiting a kidney transplant. His son got a DUI a few months back, and was caught shoplifting with $8k in his account. It was time for me to step in.

Good luck!

I'm not a parent but if I were I would agree with most of those here thay say smacking a kid is the sole responsiblility of the parent period.

reply to post by sbctinfantry

My son did his 'fire' thing when he was around 10/11 years old. He had a few talking-to's and groundings for it but he would do it again, so I finally gave him a good whacking and that cured his behaviour. He's 23 now and he never did repeat the fire thing after the hiding.

He did need and get the odd clip around the ear as a reminder though while he was growing up and testing the boundaries (and my patience).

It doesn't always work to sit kids down and explain the consequences of their wrong-doings.

Of course, I feel bad that I chose to hit my son to correct his bad and potentially dangerous behaviour - but he didn't listen to words of reason, I did what I did to save him from being a criminal.

I am a proud and doting mother of a handsome 23 year old, law-abiding young man.