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?

MARLEAUM gave this response on 3/6/2000:

Before I can answer this question I think there are alot of things left out of the case scenerio. One of the main questions I'm wondering is " What was the child spanked for" and the other is "What is the child's age"? As far as social services stepping in and trying to take a child out of a home there has to be alot of other signs that they are looking at or for. Has there been a history of the social-services being called? Does the child have any bruises on his body? Does there seem to be a fear of the parent and of the home? There's always the chance that there is an 'outside-looking-in' friend that always calls the social-service's and make false reports about families, so, we also have to give weigh to the one who is reporting the abuse in the first place. Good luck!

The average rating for this answer is 3.

Anonymous rated this answer a 3.