I was spanked maybe 4 or 5 times as a kid. My wife was spanked maybe three times, she’s told me. We both have great relationships with our parents, and we were never “beat.” I think that’s why there’s such debate over spanking, and why there’s confusion when it’s referred to as corporal punishment. Grabbing a child by the arm and wrenching them around hurts just as much, if not more (in my experience!) and smacking a child on the bottom shouldn’t leave a bruise. I think most people in the US, even those who see spanking as “no big deal,” see a big difference between open-handed bottom-striking and using a reed or anything that could bruise or draw blood.
Even with that above, I don’t really feel right striking anything. Even though I was struck a handful of times on the bottom, through my clothes, I grew up thinking that using violence to accomplish pretty much anything seems completely useless. I think we’ve seen with all of the reports on torture that using pain, or threat of pain, to do much of anything just results in people lying to you and devising ways of “getting away with things” without you finding out. I think if a child is in fear of punishment, they’re more likely to just make sure you don’t find out.
That said, I’ve seen plenty of people casually strike their children in public places. I saw a mom strike her young child (maybe 3 years old) on the head because she was walking slowly, yelling “Stay with me!” Of course, the kid started bawling and the mom picked her up. I’m not sure what the expected response was? What do people who strike children think the child will do?
