Do you believe it is a form of discipline to smack a child when you know they are doing or saying something wrong, or is it just pure abuse of authority because you are unable to control your own temper?
I am of the persuasion that children are not always beaten or smacked in a fit of anger, but rather because the parents have no idea how to discipline, no idea how to raise a child or are just repeating the process of what their parents did to them.
I can clearly remember being beaten because I failed to make the right decision according to what my parent wanted . Beaten because I was too scared to answer my parent's question in fear of escalation and beaten if I had dared to answer back in defence, even when I was in the right. I was verbally abused and accused on a regular basis.
Can you imagine being told by a parent to go and fetch the belt, the one with the big buckle? Only then to be told that it is the wrong belt, and you have to now replace it with a larger belt? It's like handing the executioner his weapon. Oh, I remember it like yesterday. Social workers? Hell no, my parent had full control over them too....
Most of this had nothing to do with my parent being angry or providing discipline for wrong doing. Rarely were those beatings due to any kind of bad behaviour on my part, although bad behaviour was the excuse used by my parent to justify their actions to us and to others.
I am of the persuasion that children are not always beaten or smacked in a fit of anger, but rather because the parents have no idea how to discipline, no idea how to raise a child or are just repeating the process of what their parents did to them.
I can clearly remember being beaten because I failed to make the right decision according to what my parent wanted . Beaten because I was too scared to answer my parent's question in fear of escalation and beaten if I had dared to answer back in defence, even when I was in the right. I was verbally abused and accused on a regular basis.
Can you imagine being told by a parent to go and fetch the belt, the one with the big buckle? Only then to be told that it is the wrong belt, and you have to now replace it with a larger belt? It's like handing the executioner his weapon. Oh, I remember it like yesterday. Social workers? Hell no, my parent had full control over them too....
Most of this had nothing to do with my parent being angry or providing discipline for wrong doing. Rarely were those beatings due to any kind of bad behaviour on my part, although bad behaviour was the excuse used by my parent to justify their actions to us and to others.
With great confidence I can say that beatings were very common in the black community when I was growing up. In fact, it wasn't until I was a teenager that I realised this was not the norm in the wider non-black community. As an adult I further realised that the behaviour my parent portrayed was about abuse and control, and nothing to do with discipline.
With all that said, do I as a sensible adult believe in smacking a child ? Yes.
If you have given a child ample warnings, especially in situations where they could be in danger, I would have no issue with smacking them. But then, I clearly know the difference between smacking and beating. Saying that, some children clearly will listen to your explanation and not repeat naughty behaviour.
Tell me your experiences and/or comments as to whether you agree with Smacking Children.
Tell me your experiences and/or comments as to whether you agree with Smacking Children.
