For some reason I thought it had been banned for a while!
I was smacked as a wean, but hardly ever and not very hard. I've never really considered it to be a bad thing, but the wife and I spoke about it a while back and decided we'd never go down that route with the wee man.
I don't think it's evil, but then again I don't think it teaches the child respect either. It just seems to be a coping mechanism for the parent, which is fair enough I suppose but I think it sends out the wrong long-term message and reinforces violence as a good thing. In saying that, I do think violence can be good at times, for example I think it's OK to hit someone back if they hit you. This isn't the message given my smacking though.
Or if a Coyne-like character is viciously mocking the disabled, violence is sometimes necessary.
Like Peter, I know some who have been damaged by being smacked, although it was definitely to excess and often for no good reason.
In short, I support the ban. There are other ways to discipline.
Couldn’t agree more Comrade Hardliner.
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