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Spanking Verses Child Abuse

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Spanking Verses Child Abuse
Spanking Verses Child Abuse 1

Spanking Verses Child Abuse
The Effectiveness of Loving Discipline

Western International University
COM 110 Effective Persuasive Writing
David Scharn
October 16, 2005 Spanking Verses Child Abuse 2 The common misconception that spanking is a form of child abuse affects the proper discipline of today's youth. Some parents are actually afraid to discipline their own children using the same method of belief from their own upbringing. Who is correct in the notion of right and wrong discipline? Is there such a thing as a correct way to spank your child? In my opinion, there is. So, my goal is to show that if the proper guidelines, created by certified professionals, are followed, then spanking critics fail to prove that spanking is child abuse.
Should spanking your child as a use of discipline be considered as a form of child abuse? Experts on child rearing are, for the most part, against spanking. According to them it causes negative long-term effects. In my research for this essay, I asked fifteen parents their opinion on spanking. Each of them said that they have spanked their own child on at least one occasion. They all agree that it is proper to discipline in this way. Each parent also said the crime justified the punishment, and not all negative behaviors require a spanking; but spanking is their number one choice when all other methods of discipline fail.
The Differences in Spanking and Child Abuse
By defining the vocabulary associated with spanking and child abuse, you effectively show the important contrasts in the two terms. The differences in the terms put each of them into their own category, thereby distinguishing that one is not the other. Abuse comes in many shapes and forms. Black's Law Dictionary states that child abuse is "an intentional or neglectful physical or emotional injury imposed on a child, including



References: Dobson, J. (1972). Dare to discipline. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers. Dobson, J Bryan, G. (Ed.). (1999). Black 's Law Dictionary. 7th ed. St Paul, MN: West Group Publishers. Fox, J.A.(1996). Trends in Juvenile Justice: A Report to the United States Attorney General on Current and Future Rates of Juvenile Offending Directions in Psychological Science, 12. Retrieved August 9, 2005, from EBSCOhost The Code of Laws of South Carolina Annotated

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