Scientific Consensus is the Spanking is Bad

At least since Dr. Spock, child-care gurus have increasingly advised against spanking.175 Today every pediatric and psychological association opposes the practice, though not always in language as clear as the title of a recent article by Murray Straus: “Children Should Never, Ever, Be Spanked No Matter What the Circumstances.”176 The expert opinion recommends against spanking for three reasons. One is that spanking has harmful side effects down the line, including aggression, delinquency...

 The FIRST Principle for Effective Punishment

Effective punishment FIRST   “F” stands for firm. The punishment must mean something. It has to be firm and aversive to be effective. “I” stands for immediate. The closer the punishment is delivered at the point of infraction, the more effective it is. “R” stands for reliable. The punishment must be consistently applied whenever the noxious behavior is displayed. Inconsistently applied rules are confusing and lead to uneven moral development. “S” stands for safe. Th...