Violence Against Children

Today Scotland became the first country in the UK to ban spanking.  That brings the total number of countries to 61, which I had no idea before today.  Sweden was actually the first, all the way back in 1979.  Other countries followed suit with increasing frequency, such as Denmark, Spain, Brazil, South Africa, Ukraine, Argentina and Portugal. 

I used to think it was universally acceptable to spank children as a disciplinary measure.  Child abuse is one thing, discipline is another.  Sure, there are gray areas between them, but it used to seem like parents had the right do whatever they wanted.  Now it looks like the rights of the child are finally being given consideration, though there are still many countries where the debate hasn't even started, like ours. 

I think it's great news, and I hope more places do the same.  Hitting is a crime, no matter how old or what the relationship is.  It's a violation of boundaries for one thing, and it teaches children that anger and violence are the best ways of dealing with problems.  Most experts agree that violence teaches violence, and that corporal punishment does more long-term harm on children than good. 

Whether you agree that parents should be free to choose their method of discipline or not, hitting children is a violation of human rights.  You don't have the right to shoot them to teach a lesson, so why would hitting them?  Both are violent actions that cause long-term damage.  We need to stop seeing spanking as acceptable behavior.  Children are no more handicapped than the disabled; they need our guidance to survive.  

There are better ways of punishing children, such as timeouts, loss of privileges, etc.  Some even go as far as bribing them, which also has psychological consequences.  The parent has to figure out what's best for their child, and not let a social norm make them think a violent action is ok under certain circumstances. 

I'm so glad we are starting to acknowledge this as a human right.  A part of me feels redemption for myself and for the many others who have suffered from this type of violence.  There are some parents who take advantage of this social custom to inflict more pain than necessary, which has happened to me.  I can't even remember anything I did to deserve being hit so hard.  It goes to show that just because something is socially acceptable doesn't mean it's right.