Numerous research work has outlined the negative effect of corporal punishment on kids. The World Health Organisation in this article specifies hitting children in the name of discipline as violence against them.
Even though the US federal laws have not prohibited spanking kids, it’s illegal in most of Europe. In places where hitting kids is illegal, it doesn’t matter who’s beating the child. You’d be committing an offense if you do because laws are for everyone.
The New Times published an article in which it credits the American Academy of Pediatrics as discouraging hitting children. Doctors are saying in the article that using corporal punishment on children is ineffective and harmful.
Have any health providers hit your child in the past? Most medical practitioners discourage the act. If you’re concerned about the effect on your kid, check your local and state laws, that health worker probably committed an offense punishable by law.
The negative effects of corporal punishment on kids may remain the same, irrespective of who’s enforcing the “corrective measures.”
Spanking can make kids become anti social
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Is it Illegal to Hit Someone Elses’ Kid?
Did your local or state laws say it’s illegal to beat a child? Then don’t hit any kid, even yours. Experts say children don’t become better through corporal punishment.
In many US states, you may legally hit a kid, only if their parents left them in your care. Let’s say your friend had to run an errand and drop off their kids in your house. In the US, you’re probably covered if you use beating as a corrective measure on the child.
But that’s about how far you can go to legally hit someone else’s kid. You can’t beat a kid up because “they’re disturbing you.” Imagine some kids are riding their bikes on your lawn, and destroying your grass. Taking “severe actions” against them may result in getting yourself some legal issues.
Reacting in anger, you could inflict injuries on them. In addition to medical bills, their parents would have legal grounds and evidence to sue you for assault. Most parents wouldn’t easily condole watching you harm their children.
Talking to kids can help them go through the trauma of spanking
What Would You Do if Someone Tries to Harm Your Child?
Most parents take protecting their children very seriously. Some even go physical against anyone hurting their kids.
There’s this story of a man who went as far as visiting “his daughter’s bully” in school, a 9-year-old boy, to “teach him a lesson.” His idea was to protect his daughter from being hurt by other members of her class. But it didn’t end well for him, and rather landed him in jail.
First, who’s the person trying to hurt your child? Are they playing with fellow kids in the park, and their play swiftly switched from a friendly chat to a catfight? You may not need to be “a bear protecting their young” in this situation.
You probably aren’t in the position to discipline the child hitting your toddler. But fighting for them must never be your first reaction. Ask both kids questions, and try to understand why a friendly play quickly turned into an enemy fight.
Understanding their misunderstanding would help you with deciding your next line of action. But you mustn’t step in from a place of anger if you want to make a fair judgment of the situation.
If you feel the need of talking to the parents of the other kid, having the facts of the situation will help you present an unbiased opinion.
And even if it was an adult beating your child, asking questions, and talking about it will help you resolve the situation better. You could also call in the cops when you feel it’s appropriate. In addition, you’d be teaching your kid dialogue and sound judgment.
Here’s What Hitting Does to Kids
Often, the idea of hitting a kid is to “instill discipline.” But nearly everyone who has carried out a study about the effects of hitting children agrees to its negative effects.
Instead of enforcing obedience, hitting your children may cause these negative effects:
- You’re unconsciously teaching them to use physical assault and aggression to force others to obey their wishes.
- Your children will begin to “get smarter” around you to cover up what they’ve done and save themselves from your whip.
- They begin to distance themselves from you.
- You can’t hit your children and preach to them that it’s wrong to fight other kids outside. They would understand your actions as the best way to react to situations that annoy them.
- Experts are against spanking. And some believe it can cause anti-social behavior and mental health problems for your kids.
These countries have taken a strong stance against hitting children for any reason, and more may be joining. That goes to show you that hitting children may not be the best way to raise them.
Sources:
World Health Organisation: Prohibiting and eliminating corporal punishment: a key health issue in addressing violence against children
The New York Times: Spanking Is Ineffective and Harmful to Children, Pediatricians’ Group Says
Wikipedia: Assault
The Asian Parent: Is It OK to Hit a Child to Discipline Him? What More if You Are a Stranger?
UN TRIBUNE: THE 42 COUNTRIES THAT HAVE BANNED CORPORAL PUNISHMENT