child abuse? - Page 3

I'm going to start this off by admitting that I didn't read all the responses prior to this post...

IF he was just disciplining his son, then who are we, as a society, to tell him how to do it? If he did not BEAT or abuse this child, and spanked him as my parents did to me, I do not see any reason for the government to step in and make this ascertation.

It's cases like this that really bother me...our judicial system and government are getting way to involved in our lives.

I don't think this is even an issue about discipline as a whole, but rather that line between spanking and abuse, and IMO, the father spanked his son.

I'll also say that I haven't read all the posts yet - I'm at work and really should be...er...working (lol) but I have to say that although I wouldn't call it child abuse, I also would never advocate using anything but an open hand to hit a child. The point can be made just as well, IMO, and a belt would be very, very painful and as far as I'm concerned, completely unnecessary.

I was spanked pretty regularly as a child - but there is one incident I will never forget. I don't know what I'd done but it was probably something horrendous that pushed my Mum to her limit. She hit me four or five times, on the behind, whilst holding me up by my arm while I squirmed around on the ground. The incident was awful - I know she tortured herself over it for ages - and it actually did have a pretty profound effect on me. I don't remember actually learning anything from it other than to fear my mother for a long time afterwards, which damaged our relationship somewhat.

I don't see the need for any kind of violence towards children - there are several other ways proven to be successful by many, many different sources. I'll never forget that incident with Mum - I cannot imagine what being hit by a belt would have done to my confidence and relationship with my parents. When I have children, I'm not ruling out the odd spanking, but I'm sure hoping things never come to that. I'm not a violent person, and hitting of any kind is violence, period.

And jeez - all the kid did was get bad grades. There is no WAY a beating with a belt is ok in these circumstances. All I can say is if the guy was busted for it by the cops - and it went as far as a court trial, then there must have been something in it. Our judicial systems and police are already overflowing with cases - they wouldn't have taken this case as far as it went without there being a reason to do so.