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Below: An August, 2011, Channel 10 news report from August 4, 2011, outlining recent Canadian research that indicates that corporal punishment can have long-term harmful effects. The differing views of parents are presented. Below: Sir Michael Rutter is a British child psychiatrist. Here he explains the difference between child abuse and corporal punishment. Despite considering the two are different, Rutter outlines some of the problems associated with corporal punishment. Below: An August 8, 2011, Channel 10 Sydney Soapbox vox pop segment on the question, ‘Should smacking be banned?’ Below: A detailed explanation and criticism of New Zealand’s new anti-child correction law. This is a lengthy report but worthwhile for those interested in the operation of a law attempting to limit parents’ power to discipline their children. The video is a comment made by Renton Maclachlan, a blogger, lobbyist and fundamentalist Christian. |
 Web links, documents |
Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance are a group which gathers and summarises arguments on contemporary ethical issues.
They have a collection of entries titled, 'Child Corporal Punishment: the anti-spanking position'. This details the case against spanking, summarises the United Nations' Convention on the Rights of the Child. It also includes a collection of useful sources and links.
The entries can be found at http://www.religioustolerance.org/spankin4.htm
The sites information on the pro-spanking position can be found at http://www.religioustolerance.org/spankin3.htm
Parents and Teachers against Violence in Education are an American lobby group which aims to have corporal punishment outlawed in all United States schools. It has published a 1987 opinion piece by Dr Adah Maurer and James S. Wallerstein titled, 'The Influence of Corporal Punishment on Crime'. The piece cites findings that those who receive corporal punishment as children are more likely to be involved in violent crimes as adults.
The full text of the article can be found at http://www.nospank.net/maurer1.htm
On June 22, 2002, The American Psychological Association published a report on the work of psychologist Elizabeth Thompson Gershoff. In a large-scale meta-analysis of 88 studies, Dr Gershoff, of the National Centre for Children in Poverty at Columbia University, looked at both positive and negative behaviours in children that were associated with corporal punishment.
Dr Gershoff found Corporal punishment leads to more immediate compliant behaviour in children, but is also associated with physical abuse.
The full text of this report can be found at http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2002/06/spanking.aspx
On August 26, 2006, the ABC released a report on moves to outlaw corporal punishment in Australia. The report is titled, 'To smack or not: the discipline debate'. The full text of the report can be found at http://www.abc.net.au/news/2009-08-26/to-smack-or-not-the-discipline-debate/1405468
On January 3, 2010, the British newspaper The Telegraph published a report titled, 'Smacking children" the law'. The report details the current legal situation with regard to the corporal punishment of children in Britain and describes recent attempts to have corporal punishment outlawed. The full text of the report can be found at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/children_shealth/6926813/Smacking-children-the-law.html
On January 7, 2010, Newsmax.com published a report titled, 'Pro-spanking studies may have global effect'. The report details two recent studies which suggest either that previous accusations about the negative effects of corporal punishment for children are inaccurate or that attempts to abolish corporal punishment have been harmful or ineffective.
The full text of this report can be found at http://www.newsmax.com/US/spanking-studies-children-spock/2010/01/07/id/345669
The National Child Protection Clearinghouse (NCPC) collects, produces and distributes information and resources, conducts research, and offers specialist advice on the latest developments in child abuse prevention, child protection and associated violence.
On April 10, 2010, NCPC released a Resource Sheet titled 'Corporal punishment: Key issues'. The resource sheet defines corporal punishment and explains the current legal situation with regard to corporal punishment in all Australian states. It also gives an overview of research findings on the effect of corporal punishment.
This is a very clear and comprehensive source. It can be accessed at http://www.aifs.gov.au/nch/pubs/sheets/rs19/rs19.html
On April 13, 2011, the Australian Online Opinion site published an opinion piece titled, 'So, pro-spanking parents aren't Nazis?' written by Ben Peter Terpstra. The article argues in favour of the reasonable use of corporal punishment. The full text can be found at http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=11896