




I don’t think it’s so much the actual spanking that does it, but it’s more the willingness on the part of parents to set limits on children not ready for complete freedom.  And at the other end of the spectrum, some parents have a hammer and consider everything a nail, all the way into adolescence.  The study’s author explains:



â€œThe claims made for not spanking children fail to hold up. They are not consistent with the data,â€ said Gunnoe. â€œI think of spanking as a dangerous tool, but there are times when there is a job big enough for a dangerous tool. You just donâ€™t use it for all your jobs.â€

When the government tries to step in and take the role of the parent, it can make the same mistakes as some parents can, but on a much larger scale.  "All discipline is local", to mangle a Tip O’Neil catch phrase.

Doug Payton blogs at Considerettes.

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