Children and Relationships

[NickD]

Speaking of beating children Nick, with that silly referendum going around at the moment, the bloody Electoral Commission has lost all records that I ever existed. Voted in numerous elections already, so I don't know how they just 'lost' me...

It's not like it matters. The PM's already said he'll be ignoring the result of the referendum. It's all a bit of a joke anyway.

[HEEGZ]

It's illegal to spank your children in NZ?!?!?!

[Rotku]

Abusing and beating your children certainly is illegal.

[Joos]

As it is in most civilized parts of the world. No need to apply Heegz, we know yer American.

[HEEGZ]

There is quite a difference between abuse, beatings, and a mere spanking... I had no idea that some countries had made it illegal. Insanity.

[HATEFACE]

Children who are spanked are more likely to become jeffery dahmer psychopaths who collect eyes and cutlery in barber disinfectant jars.

[Brokenbone]

The typically untrustworthy Wikipedia has a long and disputed article about corporal punishment of minors, here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporal_punishment

All kinds of color coding as to where there's zero restrictions, or where it's okay at home but not in school. All kinds of other comments like restrictions where sometimes you can use only a bare hand, other times an implement (probably like a belt as opposed to a snow shovel), other restrictions like no blows to the head, fun times.

No idea if it's true or not about Canada (again, Wiki is notorious for misinfo), but the quote there is: "In Canada, spanking by parents (but nobody else) is legal, as long as the child is not under 2 years or over 12 years of age, and no implement other than an open, bare hand is used (belts, paddles, etc. are strictly prohibited). Recent attempts to ban spanking in British Columbia were defeated."

So I guess no hitting babies, no hitting 2-12 yr olds with a belt, can't subcontract the work to grandparents or babysitters, teachers, pervert priests, whatever.

Anyhow I thought it was completely banned in Canada, simply falling under assault laws (where you're not supposed to y'know, hit anyone unless agreeing to get into a fight, like two drunks agreeing to "take it outside", but where a minor shouldn't be allowed to consent to getting into a battle with a parent), guess I was wrong. Doesn't matter much to me, I have no plans to exercise such rights, on clear agreement with my wife.

Relatedly at least as it applies to wives, it seems that since the 1870s, people in the U.S. have lacked the right to "physically chastise an errant wife"!! Now I know where all your wifely errancy comes from, thanks Wikipedia!

[NickD]

I agree with HEEGZ. I think it's important that at the age at which they are learning the most and fastest, a child needs to learn that when someone upsets you, you should hit them.

[HEEGZ]

No idea if it's true or not about Canada (again, Wiki is notorious for misinfo), but the quote there is: "In Canada, spanking by parents (but nobody else) is legal, as long as the child is not under 2 years or over 12 years of age, and no implement other than an open, bare hand is used (belts, paddles, etc. are strictly prohibited).

This sorta makes sense. I wouldn't recommend spanking anyone under the age of 2, or a teenager. I can also understand the not using objects to spank as well.

My parents mostly used their open hand or a wooden spoon. When I was around 12 or 13 someone gave my parents one of their extra paddles and I think I got that one once or twice. My worst spanking ever occurred as I walked past my mother while she was combing her hair in the bathroom. One whack with a plastic hairbrush was perhaps the only spanking I remember any details about at all.

My main problem with spanking is when people do it while they are angry. Someone lashing out physically against a child while they are angry is wrong in my opinion. On a side note, I've had the parents of some of my teenage students tell me I have permission to hit their children, though I would never consider spanking someone else's child.