A father was recently arrested by the police for spanking his child, starting a debate among the American public about spanking. Is spanking or other types of corporal punishment an acceptable form of discipline for children, or is it a form of child abuse?

The case that has everyone is talking is the arrest of Mr. Dale Cover, a 36-year old father of three, shopping at a big mall in St. Louise Missouri. He was arrested after an employee at the mall saw him spanking his 5-year old son, Donny, and call the police. The father was arrested for child abuse. He could get up to for 5 years in prison if he is convicted of child abuse. Mr. Cover admits that he hit his son, but says that wasn’t child abuse. He says it was discipline.

Across the country, parents disagree on this issue. What is the difference between loving discipline and child abuse? Some parents see a clear difference between spanking and child abuse. The majority view among the parents in a survey conducted by New York University is a little bit of pain is necessary to teach a child what is right and wrong. Pain is nature’s way of teaching us. Spanking is done out of love, child abuse is done out of anger when the parent loses control. One father said, “When I spank my children, I always talk to them before and afterward and explain why they’re being spanked. I explained what they did wrong, and they remember not to do it again. They respect me as a parent. My children understand\that I’m spanking them for their own good. Parents need to control their children better, and corporal punishment is one way to do that.”

Some other parents feel that parents should never hit their children for any reason. They want their children to learn right and wrong, but not out of fear of being hit. Spanking teaches children to fear their parents, not to respect them. When a parent spanks a child, what the child learns is that problems should be solved with violence.

Parents are split about corporal punishment, and education experts also disagree about the issue. Some experts think that our child abuse laws sometimes go too far. Today, many children don’t respect their parents. Children need strong, loving discipline. Sometimes spanking is the best way to get a child’s attention, to make sure that a child listens to the parent. However, most experts say that there are many harmful effects of spanking. Spanking can lead to more violent behavior in children. Study shows that children who are spanked are more violent when they grow up. Spanking doesn’t work well. It’s not as effective as other forms of discipline. A child may stop misbehaving for the moment, but over time, children who are spanked eventually misbehave more than children who are not spanked.

Research shows that if you want a peaceful family, don’t spank your kids. What are the long –term effects of spanking as a child gets older and becomes an adult? Violent criminals were almost always spanked and hit when they were children. This corporal punishment teaches children to be violent when they are very young. So, when they are adults, they commit crimes and abuse their wives and children. And then, their children go up to be violent. And the cycle continues.

In the United States, the number of parents who spank their kids is decreasing. In 1970, 85% of the parents in the United States said they use corporal punishment. Today, 62% say they spank their children. The issue of spanking and corporal punishment will continue to be debated among parents, and in the courts.

Q16 According to the talk, who is arrested recently for spanking a 5-year old boy?

Q17 What does Mr. Dale Cover believe about spanking?

Q18 Which of the following statements is true according the majority view among the parents in the New York University survey?

Q19 Which of the following views do most experts probably disagree with?

Q20 What percentage of parents in the United States today say they use corporal punishment?

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