Posted on 11/30/2004 11:20:24 AM PST by kidd
Parents who spank their children as a form of discipline are not necessarily engaging in child abuse, even when they use a belt and leave a bruise, the state Appellate Court has said.
In a ruling released Monday, the judges recognized a parent's right to use "reasonable physical force" to discipline a child. They said that, before citing someone for physical abuse, the Department of Children and Families must take into account the circumstances surrounding the use of corporal punishment.
The judges said the agency's position that any non-accidental injury caused by a parent to a child qualifies as abuse is too narrow and in conflict with state law that allows "reasonable" corporal punishment of a child.
(Excerpt) Read more at ctnow.com ...
I agree. Corporal punishment, IMO, works best when used carefully and sparingly, as a method of getting an out-of-control child's attention. Other methods, used correctly, are usually sufficient. If bruising your child with a belt is the only punishment you can come up with, your parenting toolkit is in serious need of upgrade. A parent who has the love and respect (notice, I did NOT say buddies or friends) of his/her children will simply not need to use corporal punishment very often, if at all.
My daughter has turned out in high school to be something of a live wire - hiking and kayaking and teaching in the Outward Bound-like program sponsored by the school. But she's still a good kid. And puberty has been a blessing in disguise for my son - he's quite manageable now! < g >
But even that is individual. You can look at me and cause a bruise. Meaning, I bruise very easily. As does my mom. That can't necessarily be used as a standard of force.
You're still a brat, though. ;-)
CT state law is pretty clear on this. The Department of Children and Families was just making stuff up again.
It is obvious you are not the parent you "two well-behaved" kids take after.
You owe an awful lot of people an apology.
Well of course...and WHY was a "ruling" even necessary for this? I loathe (most) lawyers AND (all) liberals.
That would have been my Grandmother. When she raised her eyebrow, all children less than one mile away--even those who could not see her--would immediately stop what they were doing and stand up straight.
Thanks for saying what I was too angry to express properly.
Pipe down tough guy. I was spanked too as a kid and realistically I did come from a trashy upbringing.
And from your reply I'm guessing you did too.
You don't expect him to say "Thanks, I needed that." do you? All joking aside. You also have to tell the child why they are being spanked. Then let them cool off. You don't keep spanking. But you let them know that what they are doing is wrong/dangerous/whatever. Then you let them know if they do it again they will be spanked again. Usually the child associates the result of his actions. Next time the behavior is performed you give a warning that a spanking may be coming. Most kids will think it through and stop. The key is you do still have to communicate with your child what the behavior problem is and that it isn't acceptable.
: P
It's about time the courts started reining the Nazis in the Department of Children and Families in. Those Nazis have been in the business of ruining the lives of parents by threatening them with being listed as child abusers and have allowed children to learn they can do whatever they what because the parents cannot effectively discipline them. Our prisons are full of children who made it to the age of 18 without learning self-restraint largely because of all the people who are in the business of "protecting children".
Are you under the impression that the purpose of a spanking is to make the child happy?
You are about the biggest idiot I have ever met on these forums.
It's too bad, I guess you have to take the bad with the good, because I have also met decent, hard-working conservatives here too.
You know that 95% of the members of FreeRepublic spank their kids?
How do you have such wisdom?
Oh Heavens, a newbie who insults everyone, gets flamed for it, is too cowardly to apologize, has gotten her feelins hurt. Poor, poor baby. I guess people who are too cowardly to apologize are trash, too.
I'm sorry, but your response has me kind of chuckling inappropriately here in cubeland.
One of the points those who are against spanking make is that children who are spanked will respond aggressively (as in hitting)later in life when faced with a situation that makes them angry. And you've just said that you'd beat the living hell of the poster you responded to. Not for any actual physical wrong, just for something that pi$$es you off.
Wrong to laugh I know, but after reading your FR homepage, it's clear that you are really family oriented, and I applaud that.
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