This is the record of a conversation in the comments on this article in The Australian on 9 July 2016.
Angus
lets not forget that by far the biggest group of perpetrators of domestic violence are women who smack their children . Mostly boys.
Nicole
do you have data to back that up. or it just feels good to say that.
Willem
Except that spanking, rightly applied, is not domestic violence. It is effective discipline. It does not teach violence. Everybody eventually becomes aware that violence can achieve things. Properly done, among other things, spanking teaches how to limit such violence. It would be interesting to see statistics on the connection between properly applied spanking (not bashing!), and later domestic violence. And if the lack of spanking contributes to domestic violence.
This is an area that needs good, well thought out debate.
Genevieve
what nonsense, corporal punishment achieves nothing that other forms of discipline can’t, and it’s lazy parenting.
Willem
Saying something is nonsense doesn’t make it so. Can you demonstrate that what you said is true? I do have significant experience in this matter, and from my observation over many years what I have said rings true.
Saying it’s ‘…lazy parenting…’ is just a put down of all the loving caring parents who have used spanking appropriately over many years. From experience and observation, it is a totally invalid put down.
Perhaps the good, well thought out debate I mention above is necessary so that we can both know how things work more clearly.
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