People that spank children reinforce the idea that adult people can hit children for their own good, without anyone taking the time to explain children what is happening. Children do not learn by repeated spanking. Repeated spanking is a form of child abuse.

An angry adult who is resorting to smacking their child as a parenting/discipline technique is far too worked up to judge the force of a physical blow to their child. This is how children end up with actual bodily harm. There are other techniques that work better than teaching children to resort to violence to affect others' behaviour. Explaining that privileges such as TV, technology will be confiscated works.

You should not hit a child in the same way that you should not hit your friends, your partner or a stranger who angers you. Both the latter are condemned socially and by law which begs the question of why parents spanking their children is not condemned in the same way? Hitting children teaches them that physical violence is not only an acceptable outlet of anger but also an encouraged one. Children are likely to mirror behaviour demonstrated to them and spanking perpetuates an inability to communicate in disagreements. When you hit a child, you miss an opportunity to teach them life lessons and to emotionally nurture them. This combined with the physical factor of adult body Vs a child’s body makes, in my opinion, hitting children inexcusable.

Spanking children is child abuse and does not teach children to behave

• Repeated spanking has been linked to a wealth of negative effects such as increased anxiety and depression disorders
• Spanking also is not an effective tool of discipline as it does not seek to understand the reasons behind the behaviour or provide tools for emotional regulation
• Other more effective discipline techniques such as positive discipline are much more effective
• Therefore spanking has many negative effects and is not effective so should not be used, however support should be given to parents regarding more effective and positive discipline techniques

Spanking has it's place.
Like shock collar training for dogs, most people knee jerk react and consider it a violent act that cannot possibly have a use, but they misunderstand the proper context for spanking. Of course positive reinforcement works with most things, but when it comes to dangerous and violent acts themselves? Spanking is the eye for an eye that a young mind NEEDS to understand how the world actually works without someone big to pick them up and protect them from consequences. You can lecture your child all day about why he shouldn't run out in front of a car, they will NEVER understand, danger itself must be imprinted on a young mind for what it is. In the adult world, actions have physical consequences. If you walk up and grope a woman, you will get slapped. If you walk up to a man and kick him in the nuts, you will get punched. Easily get killed for behavior like that. Teaching children physical consequences cannot be done with words. Rough and tumble play especially between ages 2-4 is how they learn boundaries among peers, but as for conducting themselves on the street? You can't actually let them get hurt but you can give them a permanent reminder that pain follows whatever dangerous action they chose. That, like shock training dogs should only be reserved for the most dangerous issues, life and death. Not over backtalking or forgetting chores or disrespect, that is abuse. See, children often have no fear til they learn , and psychologically/ verbally berating them to feel guilt for an action is not a better solution. Granted most parents misuse spanking, but like (properly) shock training certain dogs, it can save a life later on. Too many adults i meet have never been spanked and they don't have any grasp of consequences, those same adults ive watched get beat up, stabbed, and even shot for repetitive behavior that stems from them thinking that no one can lay a hand on them. You see it with police interactions all the time. REAL world situations have instant painful consequences, like ALL species do, it is a parents duty not to shield a child from all pain, but teach them the purpose of pain, which actions cause pain, therefor teaching them how to avoid it.

Spanking can be good or bad based on the way the parents present it. If your parent comes up to you and smacks you without explaining anything to you, you teach your child that adults can just hit kids. But what my parents did, is they would sit me down, have a conversation about what I did wrong, explain to me what was wrong so I wouldn't just think they were hitting me, spank me, and then say they don't want to, but they have to teach discipline and finally say that they love me. For example, when I was a kid, I would always lie to my parents. But after a couple of spankings, I have lied significantly less, and I still don't lie that often today. So if you approach spanking the right way, spanking can be used for good.

Spanking difficult and spoilt children is and always has been a fantastic form of discipline. It was one of the best things my parents ever did for me. As children get older and understand more they can be reasoned with to a greater extent but when they are very young they often need to learn the hard way.