Laws against spanking...

SoxFan777

What do you think of this?  For as long as I can remember growing up, Sweden has had laws against spanking.  What would you think if those laws were passed in the US?  Leaves a LOT less room for gray areas in cases of child abuse... The article below is intersting...

https://www.cnn.com/2011/11/09/world/sweden-punishment-ban/index.html?hpt

honkytonk_kid

I read this today too.

Honestly, it would make me nervous. I don't like being told how I can parent my children.

That being said, I think spanking is wrong and disgusting- but I think it should end because society finds it unacceptable, not because it's legislated against.

KKMM2007

WOW THAT ARTICLE IS VERY INTERESTING....I THINK WE AS PARENTS NEED TO FIND OTHER WAYS TO DISCIPLINE OUR CHILDREN. BUT WHERE DO YOU FIND OUT OTHER WAYS?

cfisher2008

I don't believe that the government should tell parents how to raise their kids. Period.

MrsBoike

I didn't read the article but if that was passed here, it would just be another way for the government to control what we do. I discipline my children in many different ways. However, if I feel a spanking is the most appropriate for the action, I will do that. It is no one else's place to tell me HOW I can discipline my children. 

XSailoretteX

That was a really interesting article. It's nice to see reporting that's not totally sensationalized.

I can totally see both sides of it. I've seen people take spanking way too far and use it to express their own anger instead of as a structured, predictable means of discipline.When it is done badly, it is done VERY badly.

Then again, I went to an elementary school that paddled and had parents that spanked. In my case, it was always done appropriately. I don't ever remember it hurting - just knowing that if I was getting spanked, I had crossed a MAJOR line that I never wanted to cross again. As anyone here can imagine, I was an ... errr... challenging child.

kewltif

I didn't realize there were places in the US where schools could still physically punnish children! That's something my parents talk about from the 50s.

I think its easy to take the stance, "Don't tell me how to raise my child," when you aren't someone who is abusing your child.  I work as a guidance counselor and I do work with children who are abused. I do like the idea of taking away the "gray area."

MrsDL

I personally don't believe spanking teaches a child anything and we don't plan to spank for discipline, however I don't think a few light spanks on the behind is abuse and would never tell another parent how to discipline their kid. I also think the government is progressively trying to over-reach in all aspects of our life as it is and so if they dictate what is acceptable for discipline - where does it stop? There are already hints of the government trying to mandate what parents feed their kids for example.

I do agree that I like the idea of gray areas being taken away - not because I feel parents need definition to determine how to beat their child, but because it would protect children who are abused by parents who really do believe they are exercising parental rights but are really being abusive and they are out there. One would hope a parent would know that lashes with a belt is abuse but looking at that story with the judge who beat his daughter and saying he didn't think there was anything wrong with it - that's not the case. Perhaps I'd be in favor of ammending current abuse laws to specify what is considered abuse when it comes to spanking and other forms of punishment.

Wundervoll

cfisher2008:

I don't believe that the government should tell parents how to raise their kids. Period.

I wouldn't go that far, but I basically agree. There are certain things that I do believe should be regulated/supported by the government.

DH and I will not be spanking our children, however we were both spanked and are not scarred because of it (not our reason for choosing not to though). There could be a law that makes it more clear the difference between spanking and hitting, but even that could overstep. As a PP mentioned, I would love to see spanking end because of the social stigma and not a law.

g00dg0llymsm0lly

cfisher2008:

I don't believe that the government should tell parents how to raise their kids. Period.

Agreed. Spanking is a far cry from abuse, and there's no reason the government should have any say in a parents' choice to humanely discipline.

Soxgirl07

MrsDL:

Perhaps I'd be in favor of ammending current abuse laws to specify what is considered abuse when it comes to spanking and other forms of punishment.

Me too!

And it's off topic, but OP - we have almost the same name! What are your 7's for? I made this account when I was getting married and Trot Nixon was still on the team and my favorite player, so mine was for him.

Stellasmom

cfisher2008:

I don't believe that the government should tell parents how to raise their kids. Period.

Yep. Once one accepts a law like this we're opening the door to a view of children as a public property cared for by individuals. That attitude could lead to a constant threat of having one's children taken away. Ugh.

nfrtny

cfisher2008:

I don't believe that the government should tell parents how to raise their kids. Period.

Amen sister. Amen.

When my brother was 5 months old, he was OBSESSED with power cords. I mean he would seek them out. He would go behind every piece of furniture and start chewing on them. My mom had to spank him at 5 months old because she didn't know how else to discipline a 5 month old baby to stop him from electrocuting himself.