Corporal punishment isn't best
I am writing in response to Elaine Lehman’s “Corporal Punishment Best” letter, dated 11/12/07. My first question would be, where did you get your information? A little research would have shown you are completely wrong.
There were drugs, crime and free love in the 1960’s, all of which youths were involved in. Youth gangs date back to the early 1600’s. Research was done on youth gangs prior to the 1950’s, then dropped in the 50’s and 60’s, to be reestablished in the 70’s. Violent crime as a whole has declined since the 60’s. There have never been crimes that only adults commit, even in the 60’s, and prior to that, juveniles were committing heinous crimes. They were less reported and not documented as well. Juvenile crime arrests actually started climbing in the 60’s, well before your 1975 cutoff. Between 1994 and 2002 murders committed by juveniles dropped by 65%.
To comment on this letter, click on “Comments” below
Spanking doesn’t prevent violence, it causes a bully and desensitization effect. I would be interested to see the proof that corporal punishment pushes borderline children one way or another.
Permissive parenting, as you called it, is not an experiment that has failed. What has failed these children is the lack of parent involvement, unless there is trouble. Remember, in the 60’s mothers stayed home and took care of the children, that is not possible most of the time in this day and age.
Your teaching a child when you spank them, that you are bigger and therefore right and that power and violence are the answer. Parents do have the right to use corporal punishment, it has not been taken from them by the law. That doesn’t make it right.
www.juvenilejusticefyi.com
www.ncjrs.org
www.corpun.com
www.disastercenter.com
Juvenile Delinquency, Theory Practice and Law, by Larry Seigel, Brandon Welsh and Joseph Senna.
Jen Miller
New Freedom
Hey Jen! My parents spanked me and I am fine! They spanked my bottom and it taught me to listen to them! I will spank my child! As a parent I do have the right to spank my child if he misbehaves. I will not harm my child by doing this! I will not spank anywhere else and will not strike with force. Yes parents need to be much more involved but they also need to show the child who is in control. Kids today get away with murder! No one is perfect expecially me or you but I do believe in spanking to discipline and will not change my mind. Shame on those who call it mistreating. Unless they go above and beyond spanking the bottom. There are limits on how hard and where. I love my child and want the best for him but he needs rules and if those get broken he needs to be disciplined!
I don't believe anyone said you could not spank your children. This letter was in response to someone else's opinion that corporal punishment is best, and her lack of data in supporting her opinion. I don't believe I ever said you do not have the right to spank your children, as a matter of fact, I believe I said there is NO law stating you can't correct your children with spanking. By all means, if spanking works for you then use it. I simply stated I don't believe you have to spank a child to get them to listen. It creates a bully and desensitation effect. Relax, no one is trying to take your parental rights away, especially not me. I was not spanked, and turned out just fine also. My children are not spanked and are very respectful to their elders, law enforcement, teachers and to anyone else with a differing opinion of theirs.
For the record, I never called it mistreating either.