Child Abuse Vs Spanking

by JWC
(Canada)

Child Abuse vs Spanking: 
California Assemblywoman Sally Lieber (D-Mountain View) has sponsored a bill (AB 2943) which would ban the use of an implement, the throwing, kicking, burning, or cutting of a child, the striking of a child with a closed fist, the striking of a child under 3 years of age on the face or head, the vigorous shaking of a child under 3 years of age, the interference with a child's breathing, or the brandishing of a deadly weapon upon a child...

California Assembly's Public Safety Committee voted 5-2 to advance the bill to the Assembly Appropriations Committee. The same place where a previous anti-spanking bill died.

At a public hearing, Sacramento-area mother of five, Sarah Berke, made the following argument: "As someone dead-set against the evil of child abuse, I also have a strong faith that calls on me to correct misbehaviour and rebellion when it occurs. This means a spanking once in a while. My faith and moral beliefs teach me to 'train up a child in the way he should go.'"

She went so far as to admit using a spoon to discipline her children: "Usually I have them go to their room, I go get the spoon, and we come in and talk about why they are getting the spanking and what they need to do to change their behavior," she told a news service. "I could be arrested and charged with child abuse, eventually tried in a criminal court and eventually sent to jail," Berke said. "My children could be taken away from me, or I could be sent for non-violent parental education. There are a lot of good parents out there that would fall into that category."

Come on Ms Burke. Do you really find it necessary to spank your children with a wooden spoon to change their behaviour? Maybe you should be sent to jail. What possible reason or benefit could there be for striking a child under the age of three? Do you not realize there are many successful forms of discipline available that do not include striking a child? Do you not realize that an older child could rebel against this behaviour and the violence could escalate? Give your head a shake. Better yet, educate yourself on the various non-violent forms of effective discipline.

Canada already has a similar law, which prohibits spanking with implements and prohibits spanking of children under the age of two or over twelve. Canadian courts are not inundated with parents charged with criminal child abuse as a result of this law.

I congratulate Assemblywoman Lieber. We need more people like her.

Darlene's comments to this Child Abuse Article titled "Child Abuse Vs Spanking" are at the last link below.

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