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the movie and media characterization of stern, legalistic parents “beating the
fear of God” into their kids, they have reason to stand against all spanking. The
opponents of corporal discipline have never experienced the kind of peace and
stability that allows a parent to spank in love for the good of the child. They
know that when they strike their children, it is definitely abusive, and they
project that motive to everyone.
They see government as the savior of all children, standing between cruel
parents and their helpless children. They would have us believe that untrained
parents are incapable of knowing what is best for their children, while a
few hours of liberal arts training and personal therapy transforms on-duty
government employees into wise and loving mentors.
Hitting Children
No one advocates “hitting children,” but our angry opponents can’t seem
to read. We say “switch;” they quote us saying “tree branch.” We say “spank;”
they quote us as saying “beat.” They deliberately do not distinguish between the
loving, compassionate, measured spankings we advocate and the out of control
violence of parents reacting in anger and aggression toward helpless children.
Parents who strike out in anger are most often anti-spanking proponents
who reach the end of their tolerance curve. Not having spanking as part of their
toolkit, they end up frustrated with their rebellious children and eventually
explode in retribution. In contrast, parents who wisely employ spanking with
their training soon have such happy and compliant kids that no one is ever
provoked to anger.
History will show that parents have not abandoned physical discipline
because it proved to be ineffective, but because many parents have become
ashamed of the way they apply it. That is why No Greater Joy teaches
parents to patiently “train up a child in the way he should go.”
Opponents
Dr. Aletha Solter, founder of the Aware Parenting Institute,
argues that corporal punishment teaches violence to children
otherwise born innocent: “What happens in each home is at
the root of world peace. If we’re going to be hitting children,
they’re going to go around wanting to hit and hurt other
people. If we raise them with gentle discipline, then
we’re creating a gentle world.” Well, ten percent
of the children never get hit. Are they examples
of world peace and emotional stability?
Opponents make the false assertion
that children who are “hit” by their parents
grow up to be violent, citing studies
that support their claim. But if you
look at the details of their studies, you
will note that they gather their data
from interviews with violent criminals or
psychiatric patients. “You murdered six women; were you spanked when you
were a child?” Since 90% of all U.S. parents spank or “hit” their kids, what do
you think the results are going to show? That’s right; nine out of ten violent
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