Spanking a 14 yr olds bare backside is extreme especially since the guy wasn't a parent. However story suggests this man believed he was acting on behalf of the guardian grandmother who obviously was unable to control the girls bad behaviour.

Bad enough for her to be picked up by police for drug offences? What risks was she posing to herself? And others? Her friend, this man's daughter?

I doubt the sexual connectations. He initially spanked her through her clothes and she laughed at him. That prompted the second bare bum hiding ....

I sense this guys frustration and admit to admiring his nerve even if his action was a bad decision. Sounds like he wiped the smirk off her face temporarily. Wonder if she got the wake up call? Doubt it ... the spanker ended up in Court even if acquitted ... And this guy a psychologist? Ran out of words?

BplyrstszZ and others who seem to believe adults have no right to restrain children - do you realise in Australia, if your 14 yr old CHILD is out at night with older youths, using alcohol and other drugs, putting themselves at extreme risk and you locate him/her and drag them into your car, then at home lock them in their room YOU are liable for assault and false imprisonment?

Another point: It's not paedophilia if the sexual interest is post-pubescent. Paedophiles desire children - high voiced, flat chested, hair free little kids. There are many sexually precocious under 16s out there engaging in illegal activity - under 16s aren't supposed to be consenting to sexual intercourse let alone seeking it. Does the law care? Only if junior shagger is having sex with an 'adult' (18+) partner.

Clearly parents have a minefield to tread if they have any trouble whatsoever in keeping their adolescents on track and very little help from any quarter. That is why I'm a strong advocate of fair firm discipline when children are small. It's a hell of a lot easier to try pull them into line when they're 5 rather than 15.

BTW PaulL - Page 9 Well written. 100% agreement

Paul:”...other punishments would be ineffective.”

This is probably true in parents who have no knowledge of other ways that are effective in teaching appropriate behavior. Do you really believe smacking is the only method?

Paul:” But I should say that smacking doesn't hurt me more than it hurts them.”

I know, I was just kidding with that remark.

Paul:”On the other hand, expecting parents to stand idly by whilst an 8 year old son tells the mother to "get f@cked" is not apprporiate either.”

By 8 they have well and truly been doing something wrong or it is a rather extreme emotional situation causing it. Or a bag of lollies paired up with their daily dose of Ritalin maybe.

Paul:”Corporal punishment is an effective way to make CRYSTAL clear where the line is drawn, and then quickly move on.”

Yes yes if they don’t understand other ways of being clear then moving on.

Paul:” The other alternatives all require some kind of emotional blackmail or long term deprivation to be effective.”

Come on I insist the average adult is smarter than this. Long term deprivation or blackmail are not the required substitutes for smacking, that is insane.

Paul:”In correcting our once lax attitude to child abuse, we have gone too far the other way.”

I agree.

Paul:” I have no confidence whatsooever, that my childs generation will turn out to be better people, because they weren't smacked,”

They are being smacked, plenty more like you out there Paul and I’d put bets on them being the vast majority. Like I keep saying, doesn’t bother me, don’t want it outlawed, doesn’t impress me either.

Divine:”I doubt the sexual connectations. He initially spanked her through her clothes and she laughed at him. That prompted the second bare bum hiding ....”

Yep I think he just lost it, happens. Old school dude doing the only thing he knew. He intended to harm as severally as possible using a very old technique and I’m sure momentarily he did achieve what he wished. I didn’t get any sexual connection either.

Jewely,

What exactly are these other techniques that are more effective. Particularly for little kids?

Its easy enough to criticise smacking in isolation. Once you put the mostly flaky alternatives into the equation it starts to look a whole lot more sensible.

It seems to me that little kids only have two real motivations for doing what you want them to, against their own prefered option. One, to gain approval or favour, and two, for fear of the repercussions.

Generally, the non-physical form of repercussions, either requires some form of emotional punishment (ie withdrawal of attention), or removal of some privlege (ie deprivation). Neither are likely to produce immediate results and there effectiveness is directly related to a childs ability to comprehend, and value, their future circumstances. Ie they are directly related to a childs age.

Confinement/containment (ie the naughty spot - which I am a fan of), is the only other physical punishment that yields results in small children, but it can be very traumatising to them as well, and there is an element of emotional punishment involved. And, it doesn't work at all when there's nowehere to confine them, like when your in the supermarket car park.

Regardles of the fact of whether the guy in BLKRWTVS has had a sexual motive, I'm not be arguing for anyone to be allowed to smack other peoples kids. So it renders BLKRWTVS point about that incident moot.

I'm talking about MY rights and responsibilities as a parent to my own child.

“What exactly are these other techniques that are more effective. Particularly for little kids?”

You serious?

Paul do you equate discipline only with punishment?

Clear achievable expectations; make sure they understand the expectation and the consequence. We’re shaping how they behave, respond and understand this world.

Not smacking does not mean finding a substitute to cause pain, emotional or otherwise.

Paul:”I'm talking about MY rights and responsibilities as a parent to my own child.”

I’m just talking about there being other ways to perform those rights and responsibilities.

Here this might help you:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VU1RDZlcYFM&feature=related

ROFL

Jewely

Thanks that man is brilliant