New Orleans Catholic Private School uses Corporal Punishment

[Nami]

Being spanked as a kid made me more resentful towards my parents. When others gave punishment (such as my aunt who babysat us), I would get the idea that what I did was wrong, but if it was my parents, I hated them more.

Sorry if someone has already said this but... Atria, I have to say, that when I was little I hated my mom and dad for spanking me. Why? Because, they never explained what I did was wrong. They just spanked me and told me to think about it! Think about what, exactly? They never told me what I had done. I didn't know.

See, that's the thing, people expect kids to know that when they do something its bad, lets not forget we adults/teenagers have lived a bit longer than a 4 to 11 year old, so we know better. Which is why we have to teach the kids that is wrong. Now, spanking is fine when handled correctly. My mom spanked me with a wooden spoon. I refuse to do that to my children because, when she did it...all I wanted to do was to be even more bad than I already had been, even though I didn't know what I had done! It made me hateful and furious. I. Was. Not. Sorry. But my parent's didn't know that. Which is possibly why I ended up being such an angry child.

You have GOT to show that child why its wrong, and explain it to them THEY UNDERSTAND when you explain as best as you can. I don't have to punish the kids I babysit, I tell them sternly that its wrong and surprise, surprise! They listen.

Anyway, I feel rather strongly about paddling children, I think disciplining them when necessary is fine, but paddling them is just harsh. A firm spanking and a time-out and an explanation of why what they did was wrong really does wonders.

[Sapphire225]

Oh, I neglected to mention: From what I heard, the paddling is done right in front of everyone, during class. And they do use it when all other methods have failed.

Yikes! If thats the case, I'd just beg for detention or suspension. That would be totally embarassing and humilating.

[TopazRaven]

Regardless of wither corporal punishment is alright or not, it SHOULD NOT be done in front of the entire class. Humiliation and degrading someone like that, no matter how misbehaved they where, is unacceptable in my book.

[Sapphire225]

Regardless of wither corporal punishment is alright or not, it SHOULD NOT be done in front of the entire class. Humiliation and degrading someone like that, no matter how misbehaved they where, is unacceptable in my book.

Agreed. I was thinking something along those lines actually.

[Shao Feng-Li]

There are always exceptions to norms to almost every case which exists. But if you want to talk widespread significant differences which could very well reflect the population as a whole, corporal punishment does more harm than good.

I'd take it even further. I think things like spanking is opposite to Christian morality. I don't think it's appropriate nor Christ-like.

I disagree completely based onscripture, but I know- "that's in the OT, it should be read this way, not that way, phycological this'n'that, etc etc."

[Midori]

Considering the location of this thread, we really do not need to make this a religious discussion.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

Considering the location of this thread, we really do not need to make this a religious discussion.

Yeah I kind of realized this a little while after I posted. My apologies!

[Shao Feng-Li]

Oops, I forgot about that myself too. Sorry.

[Atria35]

Regardless of wither corporal punishment is alright or not, it SHOULD NOT be done in front of the entire class. Humiliation and degrading someone like that, no matter how misbehaved they where, is unacceptable in my book.

Agreed. There is no argument from this quarter.

[mysngoeshere56]

I have mixed feelings about it. I think an occasional spanking is fine, but there are parents/authority figures who don't really know how to limit the amount and degree. As such, they end up spanking children too much... But then again, slapping kids with words can pretty much be just as traumatizing.

But, this is coming from somebody who has a bit of a "different" view as far as things like this go. I dealt with some violent people in my childhood, and lived with domestic violence for a time. For an even longer period of time, I was pretty much called/treated like a brat no matter how I behaved. I'd get yelled at and punished all the time, even if I never really did anything to deserve it.

As such, I pretty much dislike the idea as a whole because of what I went through... But, I've also watched kids in the past, and I know that sometimes spankings and other unpleasant punishments are necessary when dealing with a very ill-mannered, strong-willed child.

Regardless of wither corporal punishment is alright or not, it SHOULD NOT be done in front of the entire class. Humiliation and degrading someone like that, no matter how misbehaved they where, is unacceptable in my book.

Fully agreed.

[byrocat]

It's like the line from the Mikado "make the punishment fit the crime". Problem is that parenting is generally done by people wo are untrained or have been trained by people who didn't have kids of their own. Mistakes happen.

I was in school in Nova Scotia when the strap was banned for teachers to use and then forbiddeen to principals about two years later. I've seen the strap used only once by a teacher (on a desk to get our attention when the class was getting way to rambunctious).

I've been fortunate in having teachers and principals who could provide correction and direction without having to resort to corporal punishment. Punishments from my parents usually did not involve corporal punsihment except on thos occassions where we'd placed ourselves in harms' way or had really overstepped the boundary and lower levels of punishment did not work.

Having said that, I've also seen what happens to people without firm discipline (that's consistent and meaningful punishments, not like living in a military barracks.) Too much or not enough spoils the child and makes life harder for them when they grow up.