quote:You didn't respond to my question about the pediatrician -- I am curious if you truly think a ped that doesn't rail against the wrongs of spankings shouldn't be a ped?
Yes. I say that because if she believes spanking is an acceptable and successful form of discipline - when there's so much evidence to the contrary - I would have to question her judgment on other issues. That's my opinion and, as a parent, I have a right to it. But, then again, not all physicians are the same. There are some excellent ones and there are the ones who have their licenses revoked for malpractice.
quote:I contract with a juvenile facility -- if you were to poll those kids -- yes you'd get a 100% violence rate to being spanked (40 kids violent and they will all say they were spanked), but if you poll my 7 year old's class room -- you'd get about a 5% violence rate (18 kids 1 kid is the violent one). Big difference in who you poll to get your statistics to fit the outcome of your research.
Well, I don't know how much I can trust your poll or any of your research since you yourself said:
quote:These researchers go into this type of idea with preconceived conclusions and they use what benefits them and what doesn't is considered "insignificant" -- you that +/- 4% thing on most statistics. I pay attention to research but I know enough to know that it is not written in stone and that it has human hands in it so it cannot be taken as law. I give it its due if I don't know of something else in my life that contradicts it. But no one should ever take research as absolute and final. Period.
But let's say your 5% violence rate (kids who were spanked) is correct. Aren't better alternatives to spanking - that we know exist in 2010 - worth using to squash that 5% violence rate? Wouldn't you want to do everything possible to ensure your child doesn't become a bully; isn't withdrawn; doesn't become and alcoholic; doesn't abuse his future wife?
Conversely, you will not find any research anywhere that concludes alternatives to spanking create future violent children. Lack of spanking DOES NOT set a child up for jail time in his future; however, spanking can. The key to the "alternatives to spanking" argument is consistency. The problem is parents make empty promises about consequences for actions and the child learns his parents aren't serious, then repeats the behavior.
quote:No one spanks their child every day or even every week for that matter
Now you are the one making assumptions. How do you know that NO ONE spanks their child every day or even every week? You somehow have access to the goings on in every household in America?
quote:but how many times a day do you have to put a child in time out? How many times a week do you have to send a child to their room?
quote:How long does it take for your child to "grow out" of their behavior when alternatives are used?
Speaking for myself, very infrequently because my child(ren) "got it" a long time ago. How many times have you spanked your child? If it worked so well, why do parents have to repeat the action?