TV's Frink said:
Unfortunately, in many cases the difficulty is determining when spanking ends and beating begins.

exactly. this is why none of it should be allowed. The acceptability of spankings by society has led to child abuse. Parents start out with just spanking the child, then it gets worse and worse and and the kid ends up looking like a punching bag. When spanking a child is acceptable by society, it therefore becomes acceptable for a parent or teacher to lay hands on a kid. It just can't be acceptable for parents or teachers to lay hands on kids. It is a form of bullying. It is also poor punishment. Kids do what their parents tell them to do(or not do what their parents tell them not do to)for fear of getting hit(spanked), not because they understand why what their parents are telling them to do is the right thing to do(or not because they understand why what their parents are telling them not to do is something they shouldn't be doing). If there is something you want your child to do, teach them why it is the right thing to do, instead of making them afraid that you'll hit(spank) them if they don't do it. Allowing parents to spank gives them too much power. How would the parents like it if their bosses could spank them for failing to do their job properly? How would they like it if police had the power to spank them?

xhonzi said:

Just so we're clear...

Frink, Warbler, and hairy_hen: When you say "beat" or "hit" do you mean "spank" or like actual hitting and beating and stuff?

Thank you.

sorry I'm illiterate and can't read this. I guess I wasn't spanked enough as a kid(even though I was spanked, rarely).

One more thing. My brother and his wife have never hit nor spanked my 4 and a half year old niece. She is very well behaved.