Thursday, March 4, 2010

Swats

According to this article in the Telegraph, a study in the US has shown that swats (or as the British say "smacks") produce better citizens. The study was based on the answers of 179 teens.

Those who had been smacked up to the age of six performed better in almost all the positive categories and no worse in the negatives than those never punished physically.

I can't say that I am really surprised. Yet liberals and those who would shrink parental rights are only likely to be angered that the study didn't show what they wanted instead of rethinking their beliefs.

This is one of the reasons that I do not support the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and encourage you to look at ParentalRights.org.

Take a look at what is going on in Malta because of the UNCRC. According to the article, "Any provisions in the Maltese statute book that allowed corporal punishment and that could endorse child abuse had to be removed in order to come in line with international law, according to a British expert." Notice how (in the minds of these folks) international law takes precedence over the will and law of the Maltese people.

In Europe, there is a growing movement pushing for a ban in all countries. Nineteen European states have legally barred physical punishment in the home and another four are committed to doing so. Malta is one of the remaining four that has not taken any such steps.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Spirit of the law or letter of the law?: The vast majority of professionals agree that child bottom-battering/slapping isn’t healthy. A marginal few (mostly religious fundamentalists as those at Calvin) think that child bottom-slapping is good.

"The much-touted 'biblical argument' in support of corporal punishment is founded upon proof-texting a few isolated passages from Proverbs. Using the same method of selective scripture reading, one could also cite the Bible as an authority for the practice of slavery, adultery, polygamy, incest, suppression of women, executing people who eat pork, and infanticide. The brutal and vindictive practice of corporal punishment cannot be reconciled with the major New Testament themes that teach love and forgiveness and a respect for the sacredness and dignity of children, and which overwhelmingly reject violence and retribution as a means of solving human problems. Would Jesus ever hit a child? NEVER!"
The Rev. Thomas E. Sagendorf, United Methodist Clergy (Retired), Hamilton, Indiana. Personal communication, 2006.

Frances Clements said...

PDeverit,
I appreciate your comments. I am not saying that swats are the only (or always best) way to discipline kids. I am saying that parents should have the right to give reasonable corporal punishment. And thank God that the US has not ratified the UNCRC!

Scott said...

Unfortunately, people with the view espoused by PDeverit fail to also admit the reality that the decline in corporal punishment runs in a parallel line to the increase in discipline problems in schools, etc.

As for the "much-touted" biblical argument referred to, it's not touted, simply stated plainly. God even is said to discipline those He loves, and that if He doesn't we are illegitimate children. Thank God He loves us enough to do that.

Children learn early on that without consequences, they can do whatever they want. And let's face it..grounding from your ipod just doesn't do the trick.

There is no excuse for abuse. Ever. But loving discipline, including spanking when they are younger, is not harmful but just the opposite. You will find just as many "experts" who will concur with that as those who oppose it.

The reason Dr. Phil, etc. are popular is because they play to our "felt needs", giving us the pat on the back we want, etc. The end result of that psycho babble is the mess we currently call modern society, complete with violence in the schools, etc.

Just my 2 cents.

Frances Clements said...

Well said, Scott.

Anonymous said...

For Scott Weldon:

Actually, just FYI- the states with the highest incidence of child buttock-battering also have the highest crime rates, poorest academic performance, and highest student dropout rates. So, with no disrespect, there goes the theory that child bottom-slapping instills virtue.

Scott said...

Anonymous
Please give the evidence to support that claim. I for one know that I've never participated in any study as to whether my children were spanked, so how can anyone make such a claim.

My children were all spanked when they were younger. To date, non have committed a violent crime, and continually achieve high academic standards. In fact, our oldest was recently accepted into a college with a 13 to 1 acceptance rate, and with test scores several points higher than state and national averages. They are also the most loving, compassionate, mature children you can imagine (from what others say, not just me)

And by far, this is the common experience of homeschoolers across the nation, most of whom use some sort of corporal punishment.

The conclusion then is that any study you may site, which I'd still love to see, would have a hard time making a cause and effect link between the stats you suggest. Might there be other issued involved in any such stats; like the absence of any home structure in those students life, etc.

Again, it's been the observational experience of thousands if not millions that those children who are lovingly but firmly disciplined have greater respect and responsibility than their counterparts.

Not that this blogger would necessarily agree with me (I haven't asked) but the overall mindset is one worth considering. Check this out:
http://itsalmostnaptime.blogspot.com/2010/02/i-dont-want-my-children-to-be-happy.html

Frances Clements said...

Scott,
Thanks for the link to that blog. It looks like a great one.