The law doesn't allow one individual to injure another yet guardians and teachers are given the right to "use a reasonable force" to correct behaviours.

Some say that many parents have violently abused their children and justifying their action with this given law. Thus this law, -also happens to be section 43 of the Canadian Criminal Code- should be removed beucause it can greatly dammage many psychological aspects of a child.

In contradiction and in my opinion, physical punishments within a reasonable force must be enforced such that a child can be conditioned to avert future repetition of a certain behaviour. One of the main reasons that section 42 is frowned upon is because it can induce violent psychology in a child. But violence is a part of the biological aspect of human mind, I mean, we inherit it from our parents and it is part of our subconsicious mind (Id). Anyway, I don't wanna write too much but please do tell me what is your opinion about this law.

Well, I believe that spanking is allowed. Throwing your child across the room is not.

I believe that spanking is allowed to discipline the child after s/he has done something bad. For no reason is not.

Many differences between discipline and child abuse. Although, it's best to raise a kid in which you wouldn't ever have to spank. Such as, never bringing him/her to the store (so s/he won't beg for candy and toys), and show them the way of inner and outer peace.

Beating the child may mess up their psychological behaviors, which may affect their social status in the future, but being a quiet dude is probably better than a class clown that doesn't know when to stop.

I've never really seen a point to being spanked (I'm just a kid, lol), since I believe that if you explain things to most kids, they'll understand. But yes, I'm not against spanking, either - so long as it's not done with belts and stuff. (I mean, slippers are OK. I don't think belts are, though.)

Many differences between discipline and child abuse. Although, it's best to raise a kid in which you wouldn't ever have to spank. Such as, never bringing him/her to the store (so s/he won't beg for candy and toys), and show them the way of inner and outer peace.

Yep! ^_^ I became a lot more tolerant of my parents' rules when I discovered WHY those rules were there - like why it's not a good idea to eat all the vitamins, or why we shouldn't keep slamming the doors. Honestly, it helps if things are explained to us kids. If nothing else, it's more dignified (and more intelligent :)) than the old "Because I said so".

I don't think it should be banned. Kids need to learn there lesson is if they don't listen to you then you spank them. You just have to make sure you don't scare the poor children for life. xD

One a kid realises they cannot be hurt, would they do anything they want?? abuse the parents? threaten with a knife?

or on a lighter note, go out anytime they want, endulge in pleasure without consiquence. It should be avoided. but in the end you gotta show whos boss in all aspects weather it be money, physical or responsible descisions

Yes i believe that it must be outlawed, i thik is pretty uguly that type of disipline... but in the other hand.. some of that experiences make us madurate for some future and hard situations.. i dont know if you get what i try to say xDDDD

Every human knows the level of physical dicipline that should be allowed. A law is not needed for this and would make us Americans look even worse than we already do now.

I also saw this...

Thus this law, -also happens to be section 43 of the Canadian Criminal Code- should be removed beucause it can greatly dammage many psychological aspects of a child.

And I noticed the word "Canadian" in there...let them do whatever they want. Their reputation is already bad as it is.

I agree that explaining to a child why what he's doing is wrong is better than giving him/her something like, "Because I said so".

Also, not to stray from the topic, I personally think there are better ways to discipline a child than beating him. For instance, if the child was told not to ride in the street with his bicycle, take away his bicycle. That way, he will see the link between the crime and the punishment.

Of course, I don't have to deal with children myself, so it's easy for me to say this…

Being a big kid myself I can still relate to spankings back in my childhood days, but my parents are really tolerant people and they hardly ever spanked me or my brother, so...on one hand I believe that parents and teachers don't necessarily have to use spanking to discipline a child.
On the other hand though I think that adequete physical discipline should be allowed, but within some limits. So unless he has done something seriously wrong or dangerous or damaging, I don't suppose anyone should spank the child.
It all comes down to this I suppose-the best way to educate and discipline a child is to do it with love and wisdom.

B14ckrose

Every human knows the level of physical dicipline that should be allowed. A law is not needed for this and would make us Americans look even worse than we already do now.

I also saw this...

Thus this law, -also happens to be section 43 of the Canadian Criminal Code- should be removed beucause it can greatly dammage many psychological aspects of a child.

And I noticed the word "Canadian" in there...let them do whatever they want. Their reputation is already bad as it is.

Not everyone on this forum is from the US you know. They most likely spoke of the law because they are from Canada, not because they wanted to speak of a law of another country. I also don't see what is so wrong about my country that makes us have a bad reputation.

Back to the topic. I don't think that spanking really helps. It also teaches that violence solves problems which can lead to people beating up their kid or loved one because they were taught that violence makes people straighten up. If they have to beat their kid to get them to listen to them, then something is wrong with their parenting skills. This is coming from a kid who has never been spanked and I don't think I ever will be, because I care about my family too much to be bad. So you can't say that spanking really helps make people be good.

Technicaly, physical discipline should be enforced, not to a painfull level, however, to a discomofrting one (that the child would not wish to face once again). You see, explaning and reasoning with children is not always possible. There are some mistakes that can not exactly be explained to children, where as others, can not be comprehended by a child. There are also some cases where children can not see the danger or wrong in a (/the) situation. That is why I believe that physical discipline is necessary, until the child begins to build a better awarness in regards to actual society.

Children (and humans) are curious creatures, and telling them "not to" do something, will not prevent them from doing it unless they see the consiquences (the story of adam and eve explains this nicely). So physical discipline also builds a sense of "wrong & right, law & crime, yes & no" it also creates reasoning in a child, and improoves the ability to make decisions (unlike a spoiled child who gets a spank on the paw, then a lolipop).

Ofcourse, dealing with a female child, and male one should be taken into consideration, considering female children tend to be (much) more vulnerable to physical abuse and will not grow up through a more agressive time line (as in boys tend to have more physical fights, and usually tend to show more agressive/rebelious behaviour hence why are less likely to do as they are told). Also females tend to mature earlier, and have better reasoning than the males.

I don't see anything wrong with 'smacking' or ' spanking', A little tap on the behind to tell the child that what ever he or she is doing, is wrong.
But, I do believe society has changed, and sometimes parents take it WAY to far and I also agree that there are other ways of punishing a child that does not invovle physical contact like that.
I actually had time to sit down and watch a Dr Phil episode, they were talking about this topic and I was appalled to find what some parents do to their own kids. So I think for this reason, that there should be stricter rules on spankind. I know not all parents hit their kids hard, or abuse their kids, but for the poor children that do get abused, I think it should be enforced

Well, when I was a kid I would find it unfair of being spanked or punished physically, but now that I'm older I can understand why my parents had to do that. It taught me that if I do a wrong action there will be consequences, I agree with evilmaniac, talking doesn't always work. Heck, my parents always tried to avoid having to do a physical punishment by talking and examples, but either I was too young to comprehend (or didn't want to) or simply (as kids tend to be) too stubborn.

I agree with a degree of physical punishment, but not to the sense of taking it beyond reasonable levels. I've known cases where parents abuse of that power and it's the kid that suffers the long term damage. Physical punishment is something that MUST be regulated, that's one thing that many people don't comprehend and its what leads to all these crimes of child abuse.

The sad little bit about being humans is that we tend to respect others when we feel that they are more powerful or a stronger figure (this is the case when we're young, when we get older we respect others for other reasons. This is part of human behaviour), so it's important that we know that our parents are the ones we should respect, this will help us follow their rules so that we can hopefully become righteous people. I've also known cases of parents who don't even touch their children when they do something wrong...result: The Child loses respect of the parents and he/she feels that they can do anything without any consequences. Although I don't like the fact that respect is earnt this way (through a sense of power, fear or intimidation) it's the simple fact of human society. However it's important to remember that respect and love are different, they have some common ground but are not the same concepts. For instance when I was young I loved my parents, but I had alot of respect to them as well, so it's possible to have both.

As long as the parents are conscious that their physical punishment is for the good of the kid, and not beyond reasonable levels, I don't see any reason why it should be outlawed. And I talk from personal experience of being in the kid's shoes ;)

To me, spanking your child is acceptable, but if you cross the line and leave bruises or other physical marks, that is not acceptable. me myself, i was spanked as a child when i did something bad. looking back at it, i did not enjoy it, but i also learned from it.

when i walk through the stores and see kids misbehaving and their parents doing nothing about it, it makes me wonder what that child will grow up like.

yes there are other forms of punishment for kids other than spanking that may work just as well, the parents just have to be sure their kids learn from it and explain why there was a punishment so hopefully it wont happen again.

Physical discipline shouldn't be used. From taking psychology, I've learned that it doesn't really do any good. It will end up with each generation using physical discipline on their own children, Sometimes it can lead to abuse and it can greatly affect affect a child physically, mentally and socially.