- Anti-spanking
Anti-spanking is a term in
American English to describe an opposition tospanking . It is usually used to refer to someone who is politically opposed to spanking.History
It is widely believed that anti-spanking activism dates back to at least the 17th century, and likely further than that. The term "spare the rod, spoil the child" was coined in the 17th century by
Samuel Butler in his poemHudibras , and was actually used in criticism ofcorporal punishment . However, the term verbatim is often incorrectly quoted as being from the book ofProverbs , which does contain similar language in the English translation of theBible .During the 19th century, anti-spanking activism found support in
Horace Mann , who opposed corporal punishment in schools, according to California-based anti-spanking organization [http://www.nospank.net Parents and Teachers Against Violence In Education] .In 1867,
New Jersey became the first American state to abolish corporal punishment in schools. The second wasMassachusetts 104 years later in 1971. Currently, corporal punishment is banned in public schools in 29 U.S. states. In two of these states,New Jersey andIowa , it is also banned in private schools as well.The 1993 ban in
Michigan was met with some opposition by educators, especially in theUpper Peninsula . Some older teachers in a few districts even went as far as toresign and acceptearly retirement .According to the booklet [http://www.nospank.net/pt2007.htm Plain Talk About Spanking] [http://www.nospank.net/pt2007.htm Plain Talk About Spanking] by [http://www.nospank.net Project NoSpank] [ [http://www.nospank.net main ] ] , current research in the fields of mental health and child development supports the theory that acts of violence against a child, no matter how brief or how mild, are like exposing the child to a toxin.
Crime rates and spanking bans
Many people who argue against spanking do so on the grounds that many of the countries which have banned spanking have lower crime rates than countries which do not.
Norway , for example, which outlawed spanking in 1983, has the lowest murder rate in Europe, and in 2006 had the world's lowest murder rate.Sweden , which banned spanking in 1979 and was the first country in the world to do so, actually has the lowest rate of childhomicide in the world.Domestic violence and assault, according to many world crime statistics, are also significantly lower in countries where spanking is banned than in countries where it is not.
Countries where spanking in the home is illegal or restricted
According to the [http://www.stophitting.com Center For Effective Discipline] [ [http://www.stophitting.com/laws/legalReform.php Legal Reforms Worldwide ] ] in
Columbus, Ohio , spanking in the home is now illegal or restricted in 24 countries worldwide. They are:Sweden - illegal since 1979Norway - illegal since 1983Finland - illegalDenmark - illegalItaly - illegal since 2000Israel - illegal since 2000Spain - illegal since 2007Portugal - illegal since 2007Chile - illegal since 2007Uruguay - illegal since 2007Venezuela - illegal since 2007Canada - restricted since 2004.Romania - illegalBulgaria - illegalCyprus - illegalGreece - illegalGermany - illegal since 2000New Zealand - illegal since 2007Austria - illegal since 1989Iceland - illegalUkraine - illegalHungary - illegalNetherlands - illegal since 2007Most of these countries do not carry criminal penalties for
spanking . For example, the law inSweden carries no penalty. However, in many cases, those who are caught spanking must attend parenting classes.panking laws in the United States
In the
United States 49 of the 50 states have laws explicitly permitting spanking. The only state which does not have such a law isMinnesota , which has no law expressly banning or permitting spanking. However, there have been no known arrests or citations for spanking in Minnesota, so it is generally assumed that the state permits spanking.Brookline, Massachusetts andChicago, Illinois have passed legal resolutions stating that children should not be spanked, however, these are not inferred as bans.Recently,
California legislature proposed a bill that would restrict spanking, similar to that ofCanada , but was met with much hostility by parents' rights groups, and criticized by some parenting experts such asJohn Rosemond , who does not consider himself pro-spanking but generally opposes spanking legislation of any kind.Massachusetts is actually considering a complete ban.panking laws in Canada
In 2004, the Canadian parliament passed laws restricting parental spanking, but not completely outlawing it:
* It is illegal to spank any child under age 2 or over age 12.
* Children between ages 2 and 12 can be spanked legally, but only with an open hand, and only by the parent or legal guardian of the child. Provincial laws inBritish Columbia andOntario allow municipalities the option to complete prohibit spanking regardless of age. Currently no municipalities in either province are known to have complete bans.
* It is illegal to use any implement of any kind other than the hand, or strike a child in the face, regardless of the age of the child.Members of some religious organizations, such as the Church of God, vehemently opposed the new legislation, and in some cases, have threatened to openly defy the new law or to leaveCanada altogether.elect anti-spanking individuals
Marilu Henner (b. 1952) - actress and occasional author of parenting books. She has been highly critical of spanking in her booksMartin Luther King Jr. (1929–1968) - reverend,equal rights activist. According to one of his daughters, he did not believe in spanking, and never spanked any of his children. [http://www.nospank.net/riak99.htm Jordan Riak] (b. 1935) - Executive director of [http://www.nospank.net Parents and Teachers Against Violence in Education] drafted the bill which banned school paddling in California in 1986 [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2725788 Blake Hutchison] (b. 1980) - filmmakerStar Jones (b. 1962) - former co-host ofThe View - sharply criticizedTerrence Howard during in an interview when he mentioned he had spanked his daughter in the past.Anti-spanking websites
* [http://www.nospank.net Project NoSpank]
* [http://www.stophitting.com Center for Effective Discipline]
* [http://www.nopaddle.com NOPADDLE.COM]
* [http://www.stophitting.com/disatschool National Coalition to Abolish Corporal Punishment In Schools]Notes
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