Given the referendum in New Zealand to confirm or remove the law against hitting your child should we follow them?
Do we put such a law in place.
I believe they will remove that law a product of bad government and run away political correctness.
We should toughen sentencing for child abuse but not parents being good parents.

It shows the content of the head space of the average person when we have to legislate an option in parental right to discipline out of use because many can't tell the difference between discipline and assault.

Sentencing needs to be harsher, for sure...or judges need to grow 'a set' rather, but there needs to be tweaking within the definition of assault and judges need to be held accountable for being out of touch.

Obviously if a child is beaten to the kitchen floor with a belt that's assault, but if a child is smacked on the bum for picking up a can of petrol and a lighter, that might not be.

The law talks about the "Normal Prudent Person" in regards to your average Joe Blow on the street and common sense. How about we get some of those "Normal Prudent People" on the bench....

If we want a drug filled rebellious society then don't smack your kids. If you love them you will discipline with a smack which will give your kids the best opportunity in life. Child abuse is intolerable although the non smacking brigade are just as bad as those who physically abuse their kids. Since non smacking became dogma by secularist, violence has increased at an alarming rate on our streets. The denial of the adamic nature has led to this absurd situation. Parents need to stop being gutless and do what is right for their kids. Be a parent and stop trying to be your kids best mate. They will disrespect you in the end for your weakness and stupidity.

Hi Belly, does the New Zealand law stop parents from merely hitting their kids on the bum and that sort of thing? Is that what you're saying. If it does, that would surprise me, so I'd like to know if it does or if it doesn't. Thanks Belly.

You all know if you don’t smack you have to think through what discipline to use and what consequences might be effective. Raising a child becomes a well considered and non reactionary way to ease them through their childhood without fear of pain.

This form of parenting needs an air tight plan with minute flexibility, a firm grasp on emotions and a recording in your mind on a loop saying “I am the grownup”.

Good luck with it.

Very sad that it has to be made a law in any country.

runner, do you have evidence that shows that those doing violence on the streets come from non-smacking homes.

Research which I've posted links to previously and which you have ignored shows a clear correlation between high use of smacking to discipline children and later violence in life. If the smacking is combined with combined with very expressive shows of love that can translate to sexual risk taking, tendancies towards sexually abnormal behaviour (kinkiness) and sexual violence.

Like most things it's an increase in the risk not a sole cause, if you smoke you may not get lung cancer but you are more likely to do so than someone who does not smoke.

I get the impression that occasional smacks to stop dangerous situations will do little or no harm but that as a favored discipline tool smacking is harmfull.

If changes in discipline have impacted on levels of violence in the community (and that I'm not certain of) it's more likely that it's a belief by some that their children should not be disciplined. I've met a number of people who don't think that their kids should have boundaries, they are often complaining at the same time that other kids won't play with their children, that other parents won't have them over etc. The problem in those cases is not a lack of smacking, it's a lack of boundaries and consequences which the child can understand.

R0bert