Spanking linked to mental illness, study says

[Odysseus]

Why don't people use the word "beating"? Yeah, beating a kid--with or without an implement--causes psychic damage. A light spanking can be useful under the right circumstances. In fact, I know a four year old who would vastly prefer a light spanking than to be sat in a chair for a 2-minute time-out (while mommy explains what he did wrong and why.)

A swat on the bottom ends the incident, which is why a lot of kids prefer it to more serious punishments that can last a lot longer, such as prolonged watching of the View. It also creates a quick association between misbehavior and consequences, and teaches kids to think in terms of outcomes.

[FDK]

My dad had something that was worse than the spanking. When it was time for a (well-deserved) spanking for my bother or me the ritual was that we had to go to his workshop and select the piece of wood we'd be spanked with. That part was much more agonizing than the actual spanking. Kind of like getting the death penalty and having to choose between hanging and a firing squad.

He never spanked us very hard. (Although I'm sure there were times when he wanted to.) It was more symbolic than anything else.

One day I was bored and knew I'd eventually get another spanking so I took a decent sized board in the workshop, drilled some holes in it to weaken it and then refilled the holes with plastic wood. It broke on the second swing and the look of guilt on my dad's face was priceless.

[Swampfox]

Spanking never harmed me as a child or adult....

I was never spanked as a child. As an adult, well let's just say this probably isn't the proper forum to discuss it.

[Elspeth]

A swat on the bottom ends the incident, which is why a lot of kids prefer it to more serious punishments that can last a lot longer, such as prolonged watching of the View.

Isn't that felony child abuse in some states?