References and links

Studies and opinions, pro-spanking

"Spare the Rod? New Research Challenges Spanking Critics" - an analysis which provides counterpoints to the major anti-spanking arguments by Dr. Den A. Trumbull, M.D. and S. DuBose Ravenel, M.D. LINK FIXED OCT 28, 2009
"When to Spank" - an article by Lynn Rosellini. "For decades, parenting experts have said spanking irreparably harms kids. But a close look at the research suggests otherwise." LINK FIXED OCT 28, 2009
"Combining Love and Limits in Authoritative Parenting: A Conditional Sequence Model of Disciplinary Responses" - a study by Robert E. Larzelere, PhD. "...the combined use of reasoning and punishment was more effective in delaying misbehavior recurrences than was either one alone." This study also features a chart showing that teenage violence - as well as child abuse - has increased significantly since Sweden banned spanking in 1979.
Speaking of Sweden, Mrs Siv Westerberg's lecture to The Family Education Trust is an interesting account of the current situation in Sweden where any parent must fear getting their children taken from them and put into forcible care and foster homes. "Sweden has, during the last decades, developed into a kind of socio-medical totalitarian state...About five thousand Swedish children are at present in forcible care in foster-homes and institutions. Add to that about ten thousand children who are taken "voluntarily" into care. That is to say, their parents are told that unless they sign papers which say they gave up their children voluntarily, they will never see them again."
A summary of the "Larzelere and Straus Debate" by Robert E. Larzelere. " ...the current scientific evidence suggests that some kind of balanced middle position on spanking is preferable to either of the polarized extremes."
A critique of the Straus study: "Critique of Anti-Spanking Study" by Robert E. Larzelere. "The only thing that Straus et al. (1997) have proven is that spanking 6- to 9-year-olds at the rate of 156 times a year has a small, but detrimental effect (accounting for 1.3% of subsequent variation in anti-social behavior). Most children spanked from 1 to 25 times annually were in their most-improved group."
More links and references to research on corporal punishment of children in the home and critiques of the anti-spanking research can be found on this page: "Corporal Punishment of Children" by Paul L. Poelstra.
"In Praise of Spankings for the Teenage Boy" - an essay by Richard Aaron Lynley, reproduced at corpun.com with permission from Parent Now. "The over-the-knee spanking is so aften associated with the kiddie spanking, that its use on teenage boys provides the ultimate message for pointing out their immaturity...."
"Spanking as Discipline" by Suzanne Shell. "...What is more interesting is that many of these children recognize when they deserve a spanking....Does spanking harm children? No. Emphatically no." This page also talks about U.S. legal issues - the distinction between "reasonable, necessary and appropriate force" and child abuse. LINK FIXED OCT 28, 2009
"Spanking down" - by Cathy Young, an excellent page full of common sense. "Of 11 studies analyzed last year in a report by the American Academy of Pediatrics, only one found spanking had a harmful effect on children; six showed positive results and four concluded it made no difference...Overly frequent spanking probably can cause harm. But some psychologists say parents who don't use physical discipline in a restrained, constructive manner are more likely to lose their temper and inflict real abuse. Besides, I'm irritated by the silliness of common anti-spanking arguments. Such as, "How come it's illegal to hit anyone else but legal to hit your own kid?" The parent-child relationship is unique in ways far more dramatic than that."
"Our Family Values" from Joyce and Robert's Home Page. They are parents of four nice children. "Our method of spanking is simple...Usually we send them to their room to wait...We ask them what they did wrong, and ask why they did it...Then it's o.t.k., and on with the punishment. Afterwards, they are sent to their room for a while (usually an hour) and then we come back and comfort them with hugs and words of love, reassuring them we only punish them because we wish to teach them right from wrong, and to encourage them to not partake in the punishable behavior again."
"To Spank or Not To Spank: A Parents' Handbook" - a good introduction to the book by  John Rosemond, Ph.D. "How often should you spank? Rosemond says for young children, if it is more than once per week it is likely too much. With older children once a month is probably OK. With children over age 9 or 10, it is not effective."
"Spank 'Em Safe" - a small website devoted to how to spank kids safely for misbehavior.
"CP Prosecutions" - a pro-spanking activist group. "This list is intended to publicize to pro-corporal punishment parents and others some of the outrageous instances of prosecution for spanking children. We believe that reasonable corporal punishment is a fundamental right of parents and that like-minded citizens should contact public officials to condemn any direct or indirect attempt to outlaw spanking."
"The Analysis of a Spanking" - an analysis of a spanking memory post by Sister Sharon. "Punishment, or a better word, correction, can take many forms. Physical punishment is not always appropriate, nor is it good for all children. Some respond to nothing else, on others it has no effect, so it is not to be taken as an absolute way of treating every situation. (...) With all punishment, or correction, it must be timely, and the person must know and understand the reason. (...) Also, the use of a paddle, this can vary, but the idea is to have an instrument that gives maximum pain with minimal injury. A tool like a paddle is ideal. The hand can be used with too much force and do injury if you hit too hard. It also does not have the stinging effect of an extension of the hand like a paddle."

Pro-spanking parenting books

"Lots of Love and a Spanking! A Common Sense Discipline Plan for Children from Birth to Age Twelve That Works" by Jamie Pritchett (1997), 143 pages. Little Palm Press; ISBN: 0965608719. "Whether you are a traditional parent in a two-parent family, a single parent, a step-parent or a grandparent, if your goal is to have polite, obedient and cheerful children, this book is for you!"
"The New Dare to Discipline" by James C. Dobson (1996), 276 pages. Tyndale House Pub; ISBN: 0842305068. "Children need love, trust, affection - and discipline. From one generation too the next, the challenge of helping children into responsible adults doesn't change. Dr. Dobson's classic Dare to Discipline, a practical, reassuring guide for caring parents, has sold over 2 million copies since its release in 1970."
"How to Discipline With Love: From Crib to College" by Fitzhugh Dodson (reissued 1982). New American Library; ISBN: 0451165241. "This book gives great practical ideas and strategies for dealing with children of all ages and stages. I found it particularly helpful for my toddler who is in the "terrible" twos. The tips really help." 
"Confident Parenting" by Anne Davis (1997). Souvenir Press Ltd; ISBN: 0285633767. "A childcare handbook on teaching children to distinguish between right and wrong, which explains how, by gentle conditioning, children can be taught to behave well during the first five years of their lives."
"No Fear, A Police Officer's Perspective" - by Detective Robert R. Surgenor (BPDPolice@AOL.com). "The FBI's Uniform Crime Reports clearly indicate that juvenile crime has reached the epidemic stage. Children committing murders, assaults and arson have increased tremendously over the past twenty years. It seems that many children today have no fear of consequences. (...) Of all cases in his city where a child physically attacks their parent, only 1.9% of those children arrested experienced any form of corporal punishment, or spanking, as they were growing up." This book is available directly from the author, or on Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com.

Spanking discussion groups

The Usenet contains a newsgroup "alt.parenting.spanking". Google now also has a Web front-end to many Usenet newsgroups, including alt.parenting.spanking.
"To Spank or Not to Spank" - various opinions, hosted by www.parentsroom.org
Voy Forum: Spank with Love - Discussion group based on this website, however, not affiliated with it.

Studies and opinions, anti-spanking

Most of these websites equate spanking with violence and child abuse.
 
"Project NoSpank" - a big website with lots of anti-spanking resources. "Our intention through Project NoSpank is to equip readers with an effective weapon of defense against the pervasive, primitive myth that by making children feel worse we cause them to behave better...The problem is, committed, habituated child-hitters/child-hurters don't seek parenting advice, don't believe they need it and reject it when it's offered." Warning: This website features photographs of physically abused children.
 www.neverhitachild.org - a.k.a. "The No Spanking Page", another anti-spanking website. "We believe that the continued practice of hitting children tells children that the use of physical aggression continues to be a legitimate means to resolving conflict...We have enough violence in our society. Refusing to be violent with our children should be our most immediate priority in any sincere effort to reduce societal violence."
"The No Spanking Page" - another website that calls itself "The No Spanking Page". "Hitting is wrong. To hit someone is a violent thing to do. Violence is a thing one person does to make another person hurt. We want to treat children in ways that do not hurt or harm them...There is no situation that changes hitting from a wrong thing into a right thing. There is no excuse that magically makes hurting children kind or merciful."
"Twenty Alternatives to Punishment" by Aletha Solter, Ph.D.
"www.childadvocate.org" - another anti-spanking website by Lauriiiee A. Couture. >"The physical abuse of a child usually starts out as just a spanking. Spanking, especially when administered to a child out of anger, can easily escalate into legal definitions of physical abuse...Straus (1994) reports that, ...parents who approved of corporal punishment had a much higher rate of going beyond that and severely assaulting their children than did parents who did not approve of corporal punishment. It is not uncommon for an adult to lose control while administering corporal punishment...Every spanking chips away at the parent-child bond."
"Why it hurts to spank a child" hosted by www.wethechildren.com. "The word ‘spanking’ is a mystification. That is, it is a word that hides the truth about what you are doing to your child. What you are really doing when you are ‘spanking’ is hitting. Hitting a child is an act of violence. Hitting a child is physical abuse...Hitting your child is not an option. It is wrong, period...This pamphlet is published in memory of Alicia Robins (Armstrong) who was spanked to death."
"Is Corporal Punishment Degrading?" by Robert Green Ingersoll (1891).
"Spanking Hurts Everybody" by Robert R. Gillogly, Theology Today, 1981. "Once engrained in childhood, parenting patterns are established, and once established, traditional methods of child rearing are hard to break...Discipleship, in the form of positive discipline, needs to be recovered as an important parenting concept for mothers and fathers in rearing their children...The church needs to launch a campaign, even a crusade on behalf of children, to stop spanking in America."
"Study: Spanking kids leads to long-term bad behavior" - a CNN article on the Straus study. "Based on interviews with the mothers of about 3,000 children, researcher Murray Straus of the University of New Hampshire found that corporal punishment is counterproductive, resulting in more antisocial behavior by children in later years... Antisocial behavior was defined as cheating, lying, disobedience at school, breaking things deliberately, not feeling sorry after misbehaving or not getting along with teachers. "
"Rexanne's Web Review, Issue #32 - "I am completely opposed to spanking...The comment that disturbed me most was from parents who said they did not spank their child "right away." The child is told they are going to be spanked while the parent goes somewhere else to "calm down" before doling out the dreaded punishment. Sorry, this one gives me the willies. To me, this is a method of psychological torture...I would rather see a parent swat a kid on the butt from sheer frustration, as in the situation with a defiant child, than meditate on it a while and then do the deed."
"The Consequences of 'Consequences'" - an article by Teresa Pitman. "Despite the name, consequences are really just punishments...While establishing consequences might seem effective on the surface, children hear the underlying messages even more clearly. It tells them they are expected to misbehave, and that when they do, they can't even object to the punishment because it was 'their choice.'"
"Spare the Rod, Spare the Child - Alternatives to spanking really do work" - an article by Stefani Leto. "To me, the only reason for hitting a child is the same reason for hitting an adult: One has lost control of one's own behavior. As far as I can tell, no matter why parents hit, the true reason for hitting resides in the adult doing the hitting. They have either lost their temper, which is an understandable, although unattractive, reason, or they enjoy exercising their greater might on a being smaller than they are, or they have been convinced by some logic that spanking is right."
"Experts: Spanking Harms Children, Especially Girls" - an article by Melinda Rice on www.womensenews.org. "A growing number of experts believe that children, in general, and girls, in particular, should not be spanked at home or subjected to corporal punishment at school... All studies show that boys are spanked significantly more than girls, but there are special concerns with girls who are spanked. Of particular concern is the sexual aspect of spanking girls... When a school district permits teachers to paddle girls, it is setting those girls up to be victims of future male authority figures, whether it be a boyfriend, husband or employer."

Christian pro-spanking resources

"Five Pointers for Disciplining Children" by Harold S. Martin. "Every time you ask a child to do something - such as "Come here;" "Don't touch;" "Hush;" "Put that down;" or whatever - you must see that he obeys. When you've said it in a normal tone - if he doesn't obey immediately - you must punish hard enough so that it hurts, and so that he will not want to do it so quickly again. As a child becomes older, it is better to use other forms of punishment than spanking."
"Disciplining God's Way" by Craig Smith, New Zealand. "Spank with a rod...Grounding, making them stand in the corner, forfeiting pocket money, etc., do not deal with the problem of sin in the heart...Keep the rules simple and few...We spank our children for breaking one of the four 'D's: Disobedience, Disrespect, Dishonesty, and Destructiveness. Just about every wrong will fall into one or more of these categories...Spanking deals immediately with the issue; drives the foolishness out of the heart; restores the ruptured relationship; clears the air of the anger, guilt, mistrust, frustration and disappointment generated by the sin; completely settles the issue (although restitution, a separate issue, may be required); leaves no period of grounding or restriction to worry about and reminds everyone of the misdeeds...That is very gratifyingly peaceful."LINK FIXED OCT 28, 2009
"Avoiding Millstones: An Open Letter to Those Who Advocate Spanking" by Rebecca Prewett. "My purpose in writing this letter is not to argue whether or not spanking has its place in the Christian home. Instead, it is to appeal to those in the Body of Christ who teach and advocate spanking that you would do so responsibly, prayerfully, humbly, fearfully, and in a manner consistent with the whole counsel of God...Because the Bible defines discipline as an act of love, it will only function properly in a broad context of love...The manner of the parent in discipline should be to show that the intention is to restore fellowship between parent and child."
"Guidelines for spanking your children" by J. F. Cogan. "Please note that we are talking about temporary discomfort, usually to the buttocks. If your corporal discipline is leaving marks on the body which are still visible after thirty minutes, you may be involved in physical abuse, not corporal discipline. As a general rule, limit your corporal punishment to your bare hand...For every smack, there should be ten hugs, along with corrective counseling...Never spank while in the heat of anger...Never spank to impress others...Never spank because of accidents that could not be prevented even if due care was taken."
"Discipline of children" - this link used to point to a site that presented some of the main arguments from both the "spank" and the "don't spank" side. It had a link (inluding our logo) to this website (SpankWithLove). Now this URL contains a copy of Lazerlere's Critique of Anti-spanking Study, the same as the one above.
"When is a child old enough to be spanked and how should it be done?" - an excerpt from Parent Talk by Dr. Kevin Leman and Randy Carlson of Family Life Communications. "If you love the child, you will discipline the child, but you won't abuse the child. Discipline and love go hand in hand."
"Is Spanking A Form Of Child Abuse?" by Ian Coker. "There is a difference between harming a child and disciplining a child, and if people don't know the difference then they should not become parents... A child is made by God to be able to stand a spanking... Spanking is not a form of child abuse - rather it is the opposite."
"Spanking in Love" - a christian pro-spanking article by Jim Baumgaertel. "As soon as the child is old enough to know they’ve done wrong, we recommend starting some form of spanking...It worked well for us to use a thin wooden spoon. We felt it to be safer than using our hand, though there were times we used our hand. With the hand there can be too much momentum. We would pull the pants down in the back and spank one, two, or three times on the bare bottom...It was our view that the actual magnitude of the spanking was not so important. That is, we could afford to have the spanking be too mild rather than too severe, because it was the act of spanking that was the important thing, not the nature of the spanking itself."
"Spanking that works" by Pastor Mike - a page on how to spank children correctly, outlining an "8 Step Spanking Plan". He advises parents to spank their children fully clothed with the hand, giving as many spanks as the child's age.
"Domestic Discipline Concepts" - Charles Gleason's main website. "Some people refer to me as the "spanking minister", because I believe discipline & accountability are true ESSENTIALS in life. While spanking surely can't save your soul, it may very well help you live long enough to answer God's call and get saved. (before it is eternally too late)" "Charlie/akadad" offers a mentorship program.
"Child Training Resources for Biblical Parenting" - a website by Steve Haymond, father of 6 children. You can order their christian parenting books and also a home-manufactured chastening instrument for $6.50 each. "Having the qualities of the Biblical rod yet designed with today's parents in mind, our chastening instrument is perfectly suited for the loving correction of your little ones... Our instrument is flexible, unbreakable, made of premium grade polyurethane and measures 9" long, 1-1/2" wide and 3/16" thick."
"Spanking as Creative Correction" - an excerpt from the book "Creative Correction" by Lisa Whelchel. "Whether spanking works or is the best approach depends not only on the child and the circumstances, but also on his or her age. When my kids were little, for example, I sometimes felt it was more effective to administer a spanking than to try to reason with them... , I've quoted Proverbs 22:15 to my children about a hundred times. It says, "Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him." The companion verse is Proverbs 29:15: "The rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a child left to himself disgraces his mother." My kids know from these verses that spanking not only drives out the foolishness in them, but it also produces positive benefits, such as bringing them wisdom. This helps us all focus on the good that will result from an otherwise painful situation."

Christian pro-spanking parenting books

"Withhold Not Correction" by Bruce A. Ray (1978). Baker Book House, Grand Rapids. This and the next two books were recommended by Ken Holland. Sorry, no URL available. 
"What's A Parent to Do?" by C. S. Lovett (1971). Personal Christianity, Covina, CA. "Sometimes the behavior of a teenager can be very baffling. What does the parent do then? This book offers precise instructions for working with the Holy Spirit to apply godly discipline." 
"The Family" by John Rice. Sword of the Lord Publishing, Murphyeesboro, TN. Sorry, no URL available. 
"Spanking: Why, When, How" by Roy Lessin (1997), 90 pages. Bethany House; ISBN: 0871234947. "The author, sensitive to the growing problem of child abuse, talks about the use of corporal punishment in child-rearing and makes a clear distinction between spanking and beating. His attempt to provide a biblical perspective will be helpful to many parents." 
"Spanking: A Loving Discipline" by Roy Lessin (2002), 112 pages. Bethany House; ISBN: 0764225634. "For all Christian parents who wonder how to discipline their young children, Roy Lessin clearly explains the biblical mandate to "train children in the way they should go" and how spanking is one part of that mandate. Lessin teaches parents when and how to spank in a way that helps children learn to obey. Just as important, he teaches when not to spank, including a straightforward, helpful distinction between loving discipline and child abuse."

Islamic pro-spanking resources

"Effective Islamic Parenting" - a paper on islamic parenting. "...only as a last resort, your child can be physically punished...you should never hit your child when you are angry, not only are you then more likely to become excessive in your punishment but doing so will teach your child that it is right to hit people when they are angry...It is a fact of learning that you cannot punish a child without harming him/her, so punishment can only become necessary if you have no positive alternative, and the good that comes from being punished will outweigh the harm you do to your child...Remember, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) never once hit a child, a woman or a servant."

Other links

Most of these references are neither explicitly pro-spanking nor anti-spanking.
 
"Corporal Punishment of Children" -  a general overview of the topic by B. A. Robinson, hosted by www.religioustolerance.org. It illuminates some of the religious aspects of spanking. "The restriction of parents hitting their children is expected to become one of the main topics of debate between religious conservatives and liberals during the next decade." 
A collection of factual information about corporal punishment: "The World Corporal Punishment Research Website" by Collin Farrell. "3,000+ pages of information on official corporal punishment around the world, past and present."
If you need a parenting expert for a specific problem, try www.allexperts.com (currently, none of their experts claims expertise in spanking, but some mention 'discipline'):
Category: Parenting--Toddlers/Infants/Pre-Schoolers
Category: Parenting--Teens
www.thelaboroflove.com hosts a search engine specific for parenting websites. They have also listed this website (SpankWithLove) under Parenting/Issues/Discipline.
You can find more related  links at: Google Web Directory, Home > Family > Parenting > Resources > Discipline.
The images on this website were largely taken from The Handprints Spanking Art & Stories Page. If this link is broken, try this one or this one. "The author of this web page strongly opposes all forms of child abuse and violence against children, including "spanking". The child discipline techniques depicted on this web site should never be used on real-life children."
Other images used on this website were found at Spanking Art Wiki "A collaborative project to collect information on Spanking in Arts, Movies and Literature"
"The Physical Punishment of Children in Scotland: A Consultation" - a paper by the Scottish Executive Justice Department, February 2000. "The law in Scotland recognises a parent’s right to administer moderate corporal punishment to his or her child... In deciding if any punishment is excessive courts look at all the circumstances of the case including the age, sex and any known disabilities or weaknesses of the child. Factors such as the nature and context of the punishment, the manner and method of its execution, its duration and its physical and mental effects are all to be taken into account. The force must be moderate, and not inspired by vindictiveness."
"saferchild.org": A comprehensive website about child health and safety issues. It features a link to this site on its Discipline page. "Safer Child isn't going to tell you to spank or not spank... We do believe in strong and consistent discipline, but we don't feel the word necessarily means something physical. On this page, we'll provide you with alternative means to discipline a child, and information on what the experts and the law consider to be physical abuse. We'll give you links to organizations that discuss various methods of discipline and that have different points of view. And then we'll let you -- the parent -- decide for yourself."
"Foundations of Psychohistory" by Lloyd Demause, chapter 1 pages 45-50. "The evidence which I have collected on methods of disciplining children leads me to believe that a very large percentage of the children born prior to the eighteenth century were what would today be termed "battered children"... Beating instruments included whips of all kinds, including the cat-o'-nine-tails, shovels, canes, iron and wooden rods, bundles of sticks, the discipline (a whip made of small chains), and special school instruments like the flapper, which had a pear-shaped end and a round hole to raise blisters. Their comparative frequency of use may be indicated by the categories of the German schoolmaster who reckoned he had given 911,527 strokes with the stick, 124,000 lashes with the whip, 136,715 slaps with the hand, and 1,115,800 boxes on the ear... The beatings described in the sources were generally severe, involved bruising and bloodying of the body, began early, and were a regular part of the child's life."
"UC Berkeley study finds no lasting harm among adolescents from moderate spanking earlier in childhood" and "Moderate spanking leaves no lasting mark, study says" - two articles about a long-term study published in 2001 by Diana Baumrind and Elizabeth Owens, research psychologists at Berkeley’s Institute of Human Development (University of California). "Owens and Baumrind analyzed data gathered from 100 middle-class white families from 1968 to 1980. The children and parents were interviewed, tested and observed on three occasions by two teams of psychologists when the children were 4, 9 and 14. (...) The study separates out parents who use spanking frequently and severely - resulting in evidence of harm - and focuses on those families who occasionally spank their children, a practice that Baumrind calls normal for the population sampled. (...) The study found the majority of families disciplined their preschool children by using mild to moderate spanking. The results showed no negative effects on cognitive, social or behavioral skills of those youngsters and found no difference between them and the 4 percent of children who were not physically disciplined. The study found that 4 percent to 7 percent of parents fell into the "red zone" by disciplining their children frequently and impulsively, by such means as verbal punishment, using a paddle, hitting their children in the face or torso or throwing and shaking them. Those children were found to be not as adjusted socially and more likely to have behavioral problems or experience anxiety or depression, Owens said. (...) "When we removed this 'red zone' group of parents," said Baumrind, "we were left with very few small but significant correlations between normative physical punishment and later misbehavior among the children at age 8 to 9. (...) She said the few links that remained were explained by the child's prior misbehavior. In other words, when researchers controlled for the tendency of the child to be uncooperative or defiant as preschoolers, all correlations between spanking and harmful effects were close to zero."
"Responsive Discipline: Effective Tools for Parents" - a free online personal study course by Dr. Charles A. Smith, published at the Kansas State University Cooperative Extension Service. "Reward and punishment are not necessarily wrong. Using consequences is an important part of guidance and discipline. The problem occurs when they are overused. Children who are raised primarily through external rewards and punishments will avoid misbehavior out of a fear of being caught and punished. (...) These children behave if the parent is nearby, ever watchful of how the parent will react to what they do. When the parent is absent, however, these children may misbehave. (...) Although we know chronic or severe physical punishment can have dramatic negative consequences for children, not all physical punishment is child abuse. Infrequent, mild physical punishment by parents may appear to be effective in stopping misbehavior in some young children. Although there continues to be some debate among professionals about the merits of its use, I am not familiar with any research showing that infrequent, mild physical punishment has clear long-term negative consequences for children. The use of this discipline choice will be further moderated by a relationship in which the child feels deeply loved and supported by the parent. (...) Although it may seem to work, spanking is not recommended as one of the discipline tools."
"Convention on the Rights of the Child" adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 20 November 1989. "Article 19, 1. States Parties shall take all appropriate legislative, administrative, social and educational measures to protect the child from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse, while in the care of parent(s), legal guardian(s) or any other person who has the care of the child. (...) Article 29, 1. States Parties agree that the education of the child shall be directed to: (a) The development of the child's personality, talents and mental and physical abilities to their fullest potential; (b) The development of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and for the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations; (c) The development of respect for the child's parents, his or her own cultural identity, language and values, for the national values of the country in which the child is living, the country from which he or she may originate, and for civilizations different from his or her own; (d) The preparation of the child for responsible life in a free society, in the spirit of understanding, peace, tolerance, equality of sexes, and friendship among all peoples, ethnic, national and religious groups and persons of indigenous origin; (e) The development of respect for the natural environment. (...) Article 37 States Parties shall ensure that: (a) No child shall be subjected to torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment."
"The Childhelp USA® National Child Abuse Hotline" - a hotline for calls from the United States, Canada, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and Puerto Rico: 1-800-4-A-CHILD® (1-800-422-4453) "The Childhelp USA® National Child Abuse Hotline operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week (...) The hotline offers crisis intervention, information, literature and referrals. State-of-the-art technology provides translators in approximately 140 languages. The Childhelp USA® National Child Abuse Hotline, 1-800-4-A-CHILD®, provides confidential, toll-free assistance to: * Children who are being abused and want help * Frustrated parents who are about to lose control and are seeking help * Adults and children requesting the local telephone number to report cases of abuse * Adult survivors of child abuse who are feeling unsafe or suicidal * Adults requesting parenting tips, definitions of child abuse, or names of recommended books regarding parenting, child development or adult survivor issues"
"Bad parenting 'causes child crime'" - a BBC News article. "'Feckless' and abusive parents are to be blamed by the government for youth crime and unruly behaviour in schools, it has been reported. Education Secretary Estelle Morris (...) will say she wants to 'put teachers back on the pedestal' to give children better discipline and lead them away from violence. She will tell the conference in Cardiff: 'How can we expect pupils to respect teachers if their parents don't? Parents must set the right example, and most do. But there is a hard-core of feckless parents who have a corrosive effect on the rest. There is a cycle of disrespect starting in school and lasting throughout these children's lives.'"
"Judge rules spanking of girl, 14, by man OK" - a news article by Sheila McLaughlin, The Cincinnati Enquirer. "A judge on Thursday acquitted a middle-aged psychologist of an assault charge for pulling down a 14-year-old girl's pants and spanking her hard enough to cause bruises. (...) He was upset because the girl was picked up by police the night before on drug and curfew violations when she was supposed to be spending the night at his house after attending a football game with his daughter. (...) "I spanked her hard enough so she could feel it ... so it would sting, so she wouldn't be able to sit down, so she would remember it." (...) The girl's grandmother said she did not give the man permission to strike the child, although she had discussed her granddaughter's discipline problems with him."
"1024, Inc. Develops Safe Alternative Discipline Device for Children" - an article about a company that sells "the first safe and effective alternative discipline device for children", B-Stik(TM). "Designed to allow a parent or caregiver to physically discipline a child without causing harm or injury, B-Stik is a hand-held pliant baton that will sting upon contact but leave the child free of welts, bruises or blunt trauma. Steven Robyor, who developed B-Stik, hopes the product will eliminate cases of serious injury and abuse resulting from inappropriate discipline." See their website: http://www.b-stik.com/ (link broken)

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Last update: Nov-20-2009