Naples Man Cleared of Child Abuse for Spanking Teen Daughter

AP ^ | August 7, 2003 | Associated Press

[LiberalSlayer99]

I'm not opposed to spanking, but I don't think it's the best option for most kids in most situations. My parents usually just used lectures, which worked just fine for me.

I found it's best if it's used sparingly. I can count on both hands the number of times I was spanked. Spanking has worked for generations. The whole idea of NOT disciplining children is fairly new...and in my estimation hasn't worked over the long haul. It's not my first option and it's definitely something I don't enjoy.

Geez, when I was in elementary school, the principal spanked me (one whack) for lipping off to the teacher. Imagine what happen if that happened nowadays. In fact, it's even worse...the liberals are trying to protect swearing at a teacher as a First Ammendment right....

[adaven]

...with my hand or the wooden "spanking spoon."

Ooooh... I remember The Spanking Spoon And yes, I deserved it every time. Sorry Mom. ;-)

[najida]

Did she make you go pick your own switch? (My granny did....ARGH!)

[strela]

She did that exactly one time - the twig I brought back was summarily rejected and a more stout piece of hardware was selected by her.

[lilylangtree]

Your little cheeky butt was cute but I had to redden it a few times to get your attention. There was nothing but all love (maybe some frustration too) in my use of the "spanking spoon."

[LiteKeeper]

I suspected as much, but I wanted the actual quote "on the record" here in FR. It is not for me to paraphrase the Scriptures. If God had wanted the verse to read my way, He would have written it that way.

[af_vet_rr]

The whole idea of NOT disciplining children is fairly new...and in my estimation hasn't worked over the long haul.

Agreed, I can look at the past 10-15 years and say it is not working. I won't go off into my "in my day, kids didn't go shooting up schools/killing each other, and respected their teachers and principals and other adult figures in their lives" rant.

[gr8eman]

It's pathetic that a day has come when a teenage daughter could bring her father to court for punishing her and then declare him not guilty.
a) It's a private matter that should have been kept private!
b) Since when are 13 year olds afforded rights of adults?
c) Why are the DA and other idiots who brought this to trial not fired?
d) The daughter has no say in whether her father is guilty or not of anything...the judge is!
e) If my kid steals candy from 7-11 and I punish him, will he be tried in court for theft, assuming he's an adult, and will I be thrown in jail for punishing him?

I could go on all night!!!

[mtbopfuyn]

The dayghter now deserves another SPANKING!

And be made to march in front of the school with a soap-on-a-rope and a sign that reads, "I'm a spoilt brat who cursed out my mother, disobeyed my father, and shamed my family". Little Miss Mouthy needs to repay Dad every dime wasted on this - no new jeans, no make-up, no trips to the mall, no allowance, no nothing until every cent is paid back. I know kids who have their parents terrified with threats to call CPS.

[sarasmom]

I doubt the daughter actually pressed charges.
The schools tend to see "child abuse" everywhere, except in actual cases of child abuse.
It is just an impression I have, that more and more normal average parents are being dragged into the system, primarily because they are not scumbags, while the true scumbags are left alone, because they present such a hassle factor to the Socialist workers.
I am very proud of this man, and I thank him for not backing down.If more people did not back down in the face of assinine attempts by the courts to abuse their authority, the courts just might revert to back to sanity.

[Britton J Wingfield]

hah! I love that guy's web page.

[SauronOfMordor]

BTW, the phrase "spare the rod and spoil the child" is biblical. Remember reading it there possibly in Proverbs.

In Proverbs multiple times, but not in that precise wording:

10:13 In the lips of him that hath understanding wisdom is found: but a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding.

13:24 He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.

22:15 Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.

23:13 Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.

23:14 Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.

26:3 A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool's back.

29:15 The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.

Note: in Biblical usage a "fool" is someone without moral sense, not just an unintelligent person

[SauronOfMordor]

On the other hand, shouldn't there be some kind of limit, and if so, where do we draw the line?

In Pennsylvania, you can spank your kid. (In fact, in the PA Code a TEACHER is allowed to whack a kid to discipline him if doing so is authorized by the school board).

The case law generally seems to be that the line is where you cause "bodily injury", generally interpreted to mean something that would need medical treatment (bleeding, broken bones, concussion, etc)

[MississippiMan]

Lack of discipline is directly behind much of today's societal ill. When I was in school, we didn't have ISS (In School Suspension)-- we went to the principal for licks. And here's the key point: WE DIDN'T WANT TO GO BACK. Likewise at home, my father wore my butt out with a belt when I did wrong. Today's children fear nothing, and a fear component is essential for most children. Not all, but most. And if you think it's bad now, just wait until THIS generation grows up and has kids. By then, even mild spanking will likely have been criminalized.

Spanking is not just biblically authorized -- it's biblically commanded. Why? BECAUSE IT WORKS. It teaches children that there are painful consequences when they veer outside the lines of acceptable behavior. And doing away with it is simply one more manifestation of Satan leading this world around by the nose.

MM

[SauronOfMordor]

Also here is a link to a court case in PA, involving a father being accused of child abuse for hitting his teen daughter several times with a belt. The Commonwealth Court of PA held that this did not constitute child abuse, and ordered the charge expunged from DPS's records

[LiberalSlayer99]

Lack of discipline is directly behind much of today's societal ill. When I was in school, we didn't have ISS (In School Suspension)-- we went to the principal for licks. And here's the key point: WE DIDN'T WANT TO GO BACK. Likewise at home, my father wore my butt out with a belt when I did wrong. Today's children fear nothing, and a fear component is essential for most children. Not all, but most. And if you think it's bad now, just wait until THIS generation grows up and has kids. By then, even mild spanking will likely have been criminalized.

I can see what a LACK of spanking is doing to my nephews. My sister and her husband let their sons run wild...and what kills me is that they ASK them if he wants a time out. Ask a kid. No, you tell them and if they disobey you punish them. You don't debate with a child. You tell them what they need to do or else (think of Bill Cosby..Himself). Part of the responsibility of being a parent is handing out discipline when needed. My son (who is 5 years older than his oldest cousin) even comments about how her kids run wild. I ask him why he doesn't do that...his response? "Because it's wrong, and second because you'd kick my butt." When kids are younger, I'm sure the kick my butt thing is a bigger part of it, but as kids get older, right from wrong becomes a bigger part of it.

Fear is another part of it...the old, "Wait until dad gets home," is a line that NO kid wanted to hear in my generation. Being respectful to adults is huge.

I hate to sound like an old codger, but I fear for the future. Kids are growing up in a society teaching lowered expectations. As I tell my son...if you work hard, you can enjoy it by playing hard, but you gotta do the work first (which is probably why he's so good about getting his homework completed right after school...no homework, no sports).

The only thing that gives me any hope, is that my generation (Gen X), tends to lean right...and the liberal boomers can't live forever.

[BSunday]

I could go on all night!!!

Yeah, I bet. That happens when you take someones comments out of context. The girl wasn't talking about what should have been, like so many others would have. She just realized she was wrong and was thankful it came out all right.

It pays to wait more than say, 30 seconds before you reply to a post.

[MississippiMan]

Part of the responsibility of being a parent is handing out discipline when needed.

EXACTLY. And it's HARD. That worn-out old adage about how "it's gonna hurt me more than you" is often TRUE. It HURTS THE HEART to spank a child and see them cry. But that was MY JOB, MY DUTY to my children, to steer them right, to do what was best for THEM, not to avoid MY pain.

MM