Anonymous asked this question on 3/6/2000:

Hi,

I want an opinion from the experts in this category. If someone chooses to spank their child for discipline, do you think they should have their child taken away from them by social services? I have a friend who disciplines her child with spanking. Her child went to school one day and told a teacher that she gets spanked. The next day social services were at her door, they had her under investigation for months. They told her if she spanks and/or yells at her child it is abuse and they will come back and take this child from her. That child loves her mother and she is a good mom. She provides for her and nutures her fully. They are very close and this would distroy this child.

Do you think this is right?

Brandie gave this response on 3/14/2000:

I personally think that spanking is a good form of discipline. I believe that spanking should however not be the only form of discipline a parent uses. Raising ones voice to get a child's attention should be used as a last resort. Yelling constantly at a child is not healthy. As with all forms of discipline we should as parents and adults try not to deal wih our children or anyone else's when we are overly angery. We need to cool down and then deal with our children. Children learn by example, and we as adults need to set good examples for our children. We wouldn't want people yelling at us on a regular basis, think about how you feel when someone yells at you. How does it feel? I don't like to be yelled at myself, so I try not to do it to others. As for the child telling the teacher that he/she gets spanked at home, it was the teacher's responsibility to find out what was going on at home. I feel however the teacher went about it the wrong way. Maybe the teacher should have watched the child for marks, and if she saw marks take the next step. By the same token sometimes in real abuse cases if it wasn't for the schools alot of abused children would fall through the systems cracks. It is a balancing act that is required in this matter.

The average rating for this answer is 4.