Right: should parents need the threat of corporal punishment to discipline children? Most Australians seem to think so, according to surveys.
web links and documents
Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance is a non-affiliated group of four researchers who supply detailed background information and an overview of arguments on many controversial issues. Based in Canada, their emphasis is frequently American or European.
The site's treatment of 'Corporal punishment of children - spanking' can be found at http://www.religioustolerance.org/spanking.htm
This is a very good place to start. It gives an excellent, factually based introduction to the issue and then a detailed account of the arguments presented by those who support corporal punishment for children and those who oppose it.
Project NoSpank is the Internet site of Parents and Teachers Against Violence in Education (PTAVE). PTAVE is a non-profit organization based in Alamo, California. The aim of the site is to educate parents, teachers and legislators so that corporal punishment is no longer used on children in either the home or at school.
An introduction to the website, outlining its aims can be found at http://www.nospank.net/intro.htm
The site is searchable from http://www.nospank.net/srch.htm
The site is extensive and repays careful exploration. Its table of contents gives readers access to current developments re corporal punishment in the United States and elsewhere, together with a wide range of expert opinion and media comment on the issue.
The table of contents can be found at http://www.nospank.net/toc.htm
The Australian Psychological Society's recommendations for how to discipline children without having to use violence can be found at http://www.psychology.org.au/publications/tip_sheets/bullying/#s1
Bill Muehlenberg's opinion piece, 'Is smacking child abuse', written for the John Marks Ministries, is a moderate piece which defends the controlled use of physical punishment by parents on their children. The full text of the article can be found at http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/19784.htm
On September 25, 2009, The New Scientist published the report of a long-term study which suggests that smacking children can reduce their Iqs. The full text of this article can be found at http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17856-smacking-hits-kids-iq.html
On October 15, 2009, the online opinion magazine, The Punch, published a commentary by Herald sun commentator, Susie O'Brien. O'Brien's opinion piece is titled, 'Wooden spooning is assault, no back chat' The full text of the article can be found at http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/wooden-spooning-is-assualt-no-back-chat/