Family Forum / Parenting / Spanking / January 2007

Yah just couldn't stop wallopin' on your kids for moral and intelligent
reasons, of course, you puckering Neatherthals.

Even if she loses, you stupid thugs, it's one more nail in your
puckering  brutal assault of children disguised by the a self indulgent
claim of "love" for your children while you assault them. R R R R R

We're gonna getcha stupid.

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/politics/16487654.htm?source=rss

    Posted on Thu, Jan. 18, 2007

No-spank bill on way

By Mike Zapler
MediaNews Sacramento Bureau

SACRAMENTO - The state Legislature is about to weigh in on a question
that stirs impassioned debate among moms and dads: Should parents spank
their children?

Assemblywoman Sally Lieber, D-Mountain View, wants to outlaw spanking
children up to 3 years old. If she succeeds, California would become
the first state in the nation to explicitly ban parents from smacking
their kids.

Making a swat on the behind a misdemeanor might seem a bit much for
some -- and the chances of the idea becoming law appear slim, at best
-- but Lieber begs to differ.

``I think it's pretty hard to argue you need to beat a child 3 years
old or younger,'' Lieber said. ``Is it OK to whip a 1-year-old or a
6-month-old or a newborn?''

The bill, which is still being drafted, will be written broadly, she
added, prohibiting ``any striking of a child, any corporal punishment,
smacking, hitting, punching, any of that.'' Lieber said it would be a
misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in jail or a fine up to $1,000,
although a legal expert advising her on the proposal said first-time
offenders would probably only have to attend parenting classes.

The idea is encountering skepticism even before it's been formally
introduced. Beyond the debate among child psychologists -- many of whom
believe limited spanking can be effective -- the bill is sure to face
questions over how practical it is to enforce and opposition from some
legislators who generally oppose what they consider ``nanny
government.''

``Where do you stop?'' asked Assemblyman Chuck DeVore, R-Irvine, who
said he personally agrees children under 3 shouldn't be spanked but has
no desire to make it the law. ``At what point are we going to say we
should pass a bill that every parent has to read a minimum of 30
minutes every night to their child? This is right along those same
lines.''

One San Jose mother of three said she believes spanking is a poor way
to discipline children, but she also wondered whether a legislative ban
makes sense. Should a mom who slaps her misbehaving kid in the
supermarket, she asked, be liable for a crime?

``If my 6-year-old doesn't put his clothes in the hamper, I'm not going
to whack him. He just won't get his clothes washed,'' said Peggy
Hertzberg, 38, who teaches parenting classes at the YWCA. ``I think
instead of banning spanking, parents need to learn different ways of
disciplining and redirecting their children.''

Lieber conceived the idea while chatting with a family friend and legal
expert in children's issues worldwide. The friend, Thomas Nazario, said
that while banning spanking might seem like a radical step for the
United States, more than 10 European countries already do so. Sweden
was the first, in 1979.

Nazario said there's no good rationale for hitting a child under 3, so
the state should draw a ``bright line'' in the law making it clear.

``Why do we allow parents to hit a little child and not someone their
own size?'' asked Nazario, a professor at the University of San
Francisco Law School. ``Everyone in the state is protected from
physical violence, so where do you draw the line? To take a child and
spank his little butt until he starts crying, some people would define
that as physical violence.''

It's unclear how a spanking ban would be enforced. Most slapping, after
all, happens in the confines of a home, and most children up to age 3
aren't capable of reporting it.

Doctors, social workers and others who believe a child has been abused
are required by law to report it to authorities. Nazario said he and
Lieber are still debating whether to treat slapping the same way, or
simply to encourage those who witness it to report it. But in either
case, said Lieber, the law ``would allow people who view a beating to
say, `Excuse me, that's against the law.' ''

Experts in child psychology disagree over whether spanking is a
legitimate or effective way for parents to discipline their children.
Professor Robert Larzelere, who has studied child discipline for 30
years, said his research shows spanking is fine, as long as it's used
sparingly and doesn't escalate to abuse.

``If it's used in a limited way,'' the Oklahoma State University
professor said, ``it can be more effective than almost any other type
of punishment.'' He added that children 18 months old or younger
shouldn't be spanked at all, because they can't understand why it's
happening.

As for Lieber's proposal, the professor said: ``I think this proposal
is not just a step too far, it's a leap too far. At least from a
scientific perspective there really isn't any research to support the
idea that this would make things better for children.''

But Lieber is optimistic that lawmakers will find her proposal hard to
resist. For the record, she does not have children and says she was not
slapped as a child. But she does have a cat named Snoop, which her
veterinarian told her never to hit.

``And if you never hit a cat,'' Lieber said, ``you should never hit a
kid.''
Contact Mike Zapler at mzapler@mercurynews.com or (916) 441-4603.

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