NCJ Number
35632
Date Published
1976
Length
0 pages
Annotation
THE SPEAKER ON THIS CASSETTE, A FORMER TEACHER, NOW A CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST, BELIEVES THAT THE SEEDS OF HUMAN VIOLENCE ARE SOWN BY THE PAINFUL FORMS OF PUNISHMENT INFLICTED ON THE YOUNG BY THE OLD - I.E. SPANKING.
Abstract
IN SEARCHING FOR A COMMON SHARED ASPECT OF HUMAN FAMILY BEHAVIOR ACROSS ALL CULTURES THAT COULD EXPLAIN VIOLENT BEHAVIOR, HE FOUND ONLY ONE - SPANKING. SPANKING IS DEFINED AS THE APPLICATION OF PAINFUL FORCE WITH INTENT AGAINST THE WILL OF THE SUBJECT. POINTING OUT THAT THE ABUSED CHILD IS LIKELY TO BECOME THE CHILD ABUSER, THE SPEAKER ASSERTS THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT FOR HITTING, EVER, JUST AS TABLES ARE NOT FOR WALKING ON. COUNTERING THE 'SPARE THE ROD, SPOIL THE CHILD' ARGUMENT, HE POINTS OUT THAT THE GREAT MAJORITY OF JUVENILE CRIMINAL RECIDIVISTS WERE BROUGHT UP ON ONE OR ANOTHER SEVERE FORMS OF PHYSICAL PAIN. HE ASSERTS THAT THE REASONS THAT WE SPANK CHILDREN ARE BECAUSE WE ARE BIG ENOUGH TO GET AWAY WITH IT AND BECAUSE WE HAVE NEVER STOPPED TO THINK ABOUT IT. ONE OF THE PARADOXES OF SPANKING IS THAT MANY PARENTS WILL PUNISH A CHILD WHO WAS HITTING A SIBLING BY HITTING THE CHILD. THIS CAN HAVE SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES IF ONE BELIEVES, AS THE SPEAKER DOES, THAT VIOLENCE IS LEARNED BEHAVIOR. FOR THE ENTIRE SERIES OF TAPES FROM THE VIOLENCE AND VANDALISM CONFERENCE, SEE NCJ-35621, 3562335627, 35629-35635, 35637, 35638, AND 35640-35645.