In Kansas, a bill has been introduced to the state House of Representatives that would allow parents, caretakers, and teachers to spank children. The law would allow such striking to leave marks, such as redness or bruising on the skin of the child who is being struck. This law has incited a great degree of controversy, as it brings up the argument of whether or not that is child abuse and who has the right to administer such strikes.
As a child approaching on adulthood, the legality of this law baffles me. I am hoping that it will not be passed, because it is absolutely senseless, in my opinion. With that said, I am not totally opposed to spanking.
Spanking itself isn’t a problem, if used properly. Personally, I think it should be used sparingly, if at all. While it can be used in serious situations, it should not be a regular punishment. If you use it regularly, you aren’t parenting and teaching. Rather, you are instilling fear in your child and making them resent you. After so much hitting, it is only a matter of time until they lash back. If you are pushing your child to the point of lashing out, you have failed as a parent. Also, parents should be able to get charged with child abuse if they spank too aggressively. Just because it is a child getting struck doesn’t mean they don’t deserve legal protection if it becomes malicious.
Rather, my issue with the law is the fact that it enable caretakers and teachers to strike your child. That is absolute insanity. As a student, if one of my teachers struck me in class, I would strike back without thinking. I am not an aggressive student or anyone looking to lash out at my teachers, but if you hit, I’m gonna hit back. End of story. Also, you can equate school to a work environment. In the working world, your boss cannot hit you. Well, in the same stroke, your teacher should not be able to. That is assault, end of story.
It just strikes me as absolutely ludicrous that this law has actually been proposed. Yes, I understand that corporal punishment works in select settings. But, with that said, it is far too easily overused. Parents are working to instill a sense of obedience, not fear. Those two emotions are very different. So how are we to entrust teachers and “caretakers” with the ability to strike fear and pain into our children?