Dr. Maier: Spanking (with love) not abusive (OneNewsNow.com)

Dr. Maier: Spanking (with love) not abusive

Pete Chagnon - OneNewsNow - 8/22/2008 7:00:00 AM

Proverbs 13:24 A noted child and family psychologist says spanking a child can be an effective form of discipline, despite a recent study that states otherwise.

A new report titled "A Violent Education: Corporal Punishment of Children in U.S. Public Schools" shows that more than 200,000 children received corporal punishment in U.S. schools. Texas accounted for the majority of the cases, although 21 U.S. states allow the use of corporal punishment. The study was conducted by Humans Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union.

According to a Reuters article on the study, "liberal groups regard corporal punishment as a barbaric relic of an unenlightened past that harms self-esteem and promotes violence." But Dr. Bill Maier, vice president and psychologist in residence with Focus on the Family, has a different perspective.

"Appropriate disciplinary spanking, done in the context of a loving parent-child relationship, is not abusive," he states.

Although Maier says Focus on the Family does not take a position on the use of spanking in school, he does say the practice has positive results when used properly in one's home.

"If it's done in a loving context, if it's followed up by an explanation, there is no evidence that it would harm their self-esteem," he explains. "In fact, we have some evidence that kids who grow up in an extremely permissive environment, in which there are no boundaries, no limits, and no guidelines, ...have a great deal of difficulty with their self-esteem -- and particularly later on in life, because they have such a sense of entitlement that basically the world owes them everything on a silver platter."

Dr. Maier also referenced the American College of Pediatricians, which has done extensive studies on the subject of spanking one's child. In a study posted on its website, the group agrees that disciplinary spanking of young children is an effective tool for parents.