Learn about sense care with the first section free:
Section 1[1]
Spanking is acceptable to eighty percent of born-again Christians[2].
However, the mistaken assumption that hitting children is not only a good thing but also a “God thing” is based on an inaccurate and selective reading of the Bible, as well as a lack of knowledge of recent sociological studies.
“Whoever spares the rod dislikes their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them,” says Proverbs 13:24.
The word “rod” is the keyword here. According to Michael Eric Dyson, an ordained Baptist pastor and professor of sociology at Georgetown University, the Hebrew term translated “rod” refers to a shepherd’s rod, which “was used to regulate the sheep, not to beat them,” as he recently said in the New York Times[3]. The author of Proverbs 13:24 (and the other “rod” passages) is saying that loving parents would guide, lead, and punish their children rather than beating them.
Several New Testament verses forbid assaulting a child. There are several warnings against different sorts of physical violence, including, of course, the famous commandment to “turn the other cheek” rather than react in fury when provoked. Both Ephesians 6 and Colossians 3 instruct parents not to provoke their children. Jesus defended children, issued a stern warning about harming them, and taught that violence only breeds greater violence.
. There is also a more practical reason to forbid spanking: It’s not going to work.
Many social scientists have studied the effects of spanking on children, and most of their findings are unfavorable. Elizabeth Gershoff, a University of Texas professor, spent 15 years systematically examining hundreds of studies on physical punishment conducted over more than 60 years. “I’ve never done research that has shown a positive effect of spanking,” Gershoff added. She also mentions spanking “does not improve your children’s behavior. You think it does… No, it doesn’t.”[4]
According to research based on real-time home audio recordings, children who were beaten or slapped by their parents frequently misbehaved again within 10 minutes.[5] It’s also been linked to “hostile attribution bias,” which means the child expects people to be hostile toward them.[6]
A recent study has also found that children who are spanked may have less grey matter in their brains, impairing their ability to understand incentives and consequences or make critical decisions. Individuals may be predisposed to addiction or depression because of this.[7] According to Ingram (as well as James Dobson and other orthodox Christians), the more you physically scold your children, the less self-control your children have.
In addition to the potential long-term psychological and physiological consequences of hitting your child, there is an increased risk of acute bodily harm. Tulane University professor Catherine Taylor discovered after studying 2,500 children that “hitting for punishment increases the probability of child abuse by three times, and by nine times if an object such as a belt is used.”[8]
When parents beat during an emotional moment or vent their own repressed rage, the risk of abuse increases. Of course, most parents will tell you that they spank their children lightly and seldom. But many parents aren’t fully aware of their child-rearing practices. Researchers at Southern Methodist University, for example, discovered that parents who spank their children report they do so around 18 times a year, but it is more like 18 times a week.[9]
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[1] Merritt, J. (2015, January 11). Christians have no moral rationale for spanking their children. The Week. Retrieved February 26, 2022, from https://theweek.com/articles/443585/christians-have-no-moral-rationale-spanking-children
[2] Corporal punishment, the abuse of authority and the rights of children. Corporal Punishment, the Abuse of Authority and the Rights of Children. (n.d.). Retrieved February 26, 2022, from http://chainthedogma.blogspot.com/2011/11/corporal-punishment-abuse-of-authority.html
[3] Dyson, M. E. (2014, September 17). Punishment or child abuse? The New York Times. Retrieved February 26, 2022, from https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/18/opinion/punishment-or-child-abuse.html?_r=0
[4] Corporal punishment, the abuse of authority and the rights of children. Corporal Punishment, the Abuse of Authority and the Rights of Children. (n.d.). Retrieved February 26, 2022, from http://chainthedogma.blogspot.com/2011/11/corporal-punishment-abuse-of-authority.html
[5] The week: Christians have no moral rationale for spanking their children. SMU Research. (2020, February 18). Retrieved February 26, 2022, from https://blog.smu.edu/research/2014/09/24/the-week-christians-have-no-moral-rationale-for-spanking-their-children/
[6] Lee, S., Chang, H., Ip, K. I., & Olson, S. L. (2019, August). Early socialization of hostile attribution bias: The roles of parental attributions, parental discipline, and child attributes. Social development (Oxford, England). Retrieved February 26, 2022, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6764772/#:~:text=Hostile%20attribution%20bias%20(HAB)%20refers,et%20al.%2C%202002).
[7] Kovac, S. (2014, July 23). Spanking the gray matter out of our kids. CNN. Retrieved February 26, 2022, from https://www.cnn.com/2014/07/23/health/effects-spanking-brain/index.html#:~:text=Researchers%20found%20children%20who%20were,disorders%2C%20the%20study%20authors%20say.
[8] Corporal punishment, the abuse of authority and the rights of children. Corporal Punishment, the Abuse of Authority and the Rights of Children. (n.d.). Retrieved February 26, 2022, from http://chainthedogma.blogspot.com/2011/11/corporal-punishment-abuse-of-authority.html
[9] Perry, S., writer, M. P. contributing, & Susan PerrySusan Perry writes Second Opinion for MinnPost. (2014, April 21). Parents often spank out of anger and for trivial reasons, real-time study finds. MinnPost. Retrieved February 26, 2022, from https://www.minnpost.com/second-opinion/2014/04/parents-often-spank-out-anger-and-trivial-reasons-real-time-study-finds/