Is Spanking an Acceptable Form of Discipline?

UTAH
Force is justified if used for reasonable discipline of a minor by parent/guardian/teacher /person standing in loco parentis. Sec. 76-2-401.[Cr.]
WASHINGTON
Physical discipline is not unlawful if reasonable and moderate and inflicted by parent /teacher/guardian for restraint or correction. Presumed unreasonable if the following are used to correct/ restrain: -- Throwing, kicking, burning, cutting, striking with a closed fist, shaking a child under 3, interfering with breathing, threatening with a deadly weapon, any other act likely to cause and which does cause bodily harm greater than transient pain or minor temporary marks. [Statute says this list is illustrative and not exclusive]. Age, size,condition of child, and location of injury are all factors in determining "reasonable" and "moderate." Sec. 9A.16.100.[Cr.]
WEST VIRGINIA
Physical injury can include that which is the result of excessive corporal punishment. Sec. 49-1-3 [Ci.]
WISCONSIN
Use of force is justified when actor's conduct is reasonable discipline of a child by a person responsible for child's welfare. Reasonable discipline may involve only such force as a reasonable person believes is necessary. Never reasonable to use force intended to cause great bodily harm or death, or which creates an unreasonable risk of great bodily harm or death. Sec. 939.45.[Cr.]
WYOMING
Abuse include excessive or unreasonable corporal punishment. Sec. 14-3-202.[Ci.] A "neglected child" includes one abused by the infliction of physical or mental injury including excessive or unreasonable corporal punishment. Sec. 14-6-201.[Ci.] Same definition as civil abuse definition. Sec. 6-2-503.[Cr.]

NEBRASKA
It is abuse to knowingly, intentionally, or negligently cause or permit a child to be cruelly punished. Sec. 28-710.[Cr.] Parent/guardian/person responsible for care and supervision/person acting at one of the above's request is justified to use force on a minor if for the purpose of safeguarding or promoting the welfare of minor, including prevention or punishment of misconduct, but not designed to cause or known to create a substantial risk of causing death, serious bodily harm, disfigurement, extreme pain, mental distress, or gross degradation. Sec. 28-1413.[Cr.] If the belief that the force is necessary is a reckless or negligent belief, than the above offers no defense to a crime, if the culpability of that crime is proven by showing recklessness or negligence. Justification is not available if person recklessly or negligently injured or created a substantial risk of injury to a person. Sec. 28-1414.[Cr.]
NEVADA
Excessive corporal punishment may cause physical or mental injuries which constitute abuse. Sec. 432B.150.[Ci.] "Injury" to a child occurs when a parent/guardian/custodian inflicts or allows to be inflicted upon a child physical, mental, or emotional injuries sustained as a result of excessive corporal punishment. Sec. 128.013.[Ci.]
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Parent/guardian/person/teacher responsible for general care and welfare of minor may use force against minor when and to the extent that he reasonably believes it necessary to prevent or punish minor's misconduct. No defense available for malicious or reckless use of force that creates risk of death, serious bodily injury, or substantial pain. Sec. 627:6.[Cr.]
NEW JERSEY
Cruelty to a child includes inflicting unnecessarily severe corporal punishment upon a child. Sec. 9:6-1.[Ci.] "Abuse" includes a parent, guardian, or other person with control or custody inflicting excessive corporal punishment (which must be excessive to the point that the child's physical, mental, or emotional condition has been impaired or is in imminent danger of becoming impaired as a result). Sec. 9:6-8.9.[Ci.] Person with responsibility for care, supervision, discipline, or safety of another may use force against them if for the purpose of and to the extent necessary to further the responsibility. Sec. 2C:3-8.[Cr.] Justification is not available if the person recklessly or negligently injures or creates a risk of injury. Sec. 2C: 3-9.[Cr.]
NEW MEXICO
An abused child includes one who has been cruelly punished by a parent/ guardian/ custodian. Sec.32A-1-4(B).[Ci.] Abuse includes knowingly, intentionally, or negligently permitting or causing a child to be cruelly punished. Sec. 30-6-1.[Cr.]
NEW YORK
Neglecting a child includes unreasonably inflicting or allowing the infliction of harm or substantial risk thereof, including excessive corporal punishment. Fam. Ct. Sec. 1012.[Ci.] Parent/guardian/other person with care and supervision of person under 21, can use non-deadly physical force when and to the extent he reasonably believes necessary to maintain discipline or promote welfare of person force performed upon. Penal Sec. 35:10.[Cr.]
NORTH CAROLINA
Abuse includes infliction of a serious physical injury by other than accidental means; creating a substantial risk of such injury by other than accidental means; and using cruel or grossly inappropriate procedures or devices to modify behavior. Juvenile Sec. 7B-101(1). [Ci.]
NORTH DAKOTA
"Harm" includes injuries sustained from excessive corporal punishment. Sec. 50-25.1-02.[Ci.] Parent/guardian/other person responsible for care and supervision of minor/person acting at direction of the above can use reasonable force on a minor for safeguarding or promoting his welfare, including prevention or punishment of his misconduct and maintenance of proper discipline. Force does not have to be "necessary," but cannot create substantial risk of death,
serious bodily injury or disfigurement, or gross degradation. Sec. 12.1-05-05.[Cr.]
OHIO
Not abuse if not prohibited under law prohibiting endangering children. "Endangering children" is administering corporal punishment or other physical discipline, or physically restraining the child in a cruel manner or for a prolonged period if the punishment or discipline is excessive under the circumstances and creates a substantial risk of serious physical harm to the child. Sec. 2151.031.[Ci.] It is a criminal act to administer corporal punishment or other physical discipline, or to physically restrain the child in a cruel manner or for a prolonged period if it is excessive under the circumstances and creates a substantial risk of serious physical harm to the child. It is a criminal act to administer unwarranted disciplinary measures to child if there is a substantial risk that if conduct is continued it will seriously impair the child's health or development. Sec. 2919.22.[Cr.]

CONNECTICUT
It is abuse if having control and custody of a child under sixteen (16) one cruelly or unlawfully punishes. Sec. 53-20.[Cr.] Parent/guardian/person with care and supervision of a minor (other than a teacher) may use reasonable physical force, when and to the extent that he reasonably believes necessary to maintain discipline or promote welfare of minor. Sec. 53a-18.[Cr.]
DELAWARE
Force is justifiable if reasonable and moderate and by parent/guardian/foster parent/legal custodian/other similar person responsible for care and supervision. Force must be: -- For purpose of safeguarding or promoting welfareof child, including prevention or punishment of misconduct, and -- Intended to benefit child. Reasonable and moderate is determined in light of: size, age, and condition of child, location, strength, and duration of force. Force is not justified if it consists of: -- Throwing child, kicking, burning, cutting, striking with a closed fist, interfering with breathing, use of or threatened use of deadly weapon, prolonged deprivation of sustenance or medication, any act likely to cause or causing physical injury, disfigurement, mental distress, unnecessary degradation or substantial risk of serious physical injury or
death. Criminal Sec. 468.[Cr.]
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Abuse includes excessive corporal punishment. Sec. 6-2101.[Ci.] Abuse includes when a parent/guardian/custodian inflicts or fails to make reasonable efforts to prevent the infliction of physical or mental injury, including excessive corporal punishment. Sec. 16-2301.[Ci.]
FLORIDA
"Harm" to a child occurs when the parent or other person responsible for the child's welfare inflicts or allows to be inflicted upon the child physical, mental, or emotional injury. The following factors must be considered in evaluating any injury: prior injuries; location; multiplicity; and type of trauma. Such injury include, but are not limited to willful acts that produce the following specific injuries: sprains, dislocations, or cartilage damage; bone or skull fractures; brain or spinal cord damage; intracranial hemorrhage or injury to other internal organs; asphyxiation, suffocation, or drowning; injury resulting from the use of a deadly weapon; burns or scalding; cuts, lacerations, punctures, or bites; permanent or temporary disfigurement; or permanent or temporary loss or impairment of a body part or function. "Willful" refers to the intent to perform an action, not to achieve a particular result or an intent to cause an injury. Sec. 415.503.[Ci.]

"Someone believing in spanking a child as a means of punishment does not make them dangerous or disconnected." You have said that you do not believe that statement to be entirely correct. Is that not just your opinion? You believe someone is dangerous who uses spanking as a form of punishment. Do you have non-Christian (non-biased) data to back up that claim? If so, by all means, please post it here for all to read. I say non-Christian and non-biased because I am not a Christian and do not believe that using the Bible as a means of defending ones possition on anything accomplishes much. So, neither of you will convince me of anything using that type of data.

You are right, this whole board is personal. However, what I was relating to was the statement that you made about him being a Baptist minister. Maybe, I missed it, but where did he claim to speak for all Christians? I know many people who are Baptist and most if not all of them believe as he does. I have had some interesting debates with them.

I read what he said, I believe he said that his studies, degree's, and experience make him an authority on what the Bible says. I took that means that he is just heavily endoctrinated in his believes and can back up everything he believes based on that. Let me ask you a question: What makes your interpretation of the Bible any better than his? I can answer that: the same thing that makes him think that his his. It is what he has been endoctrinated to believe, and as a result, he believes his interpretation is the only one that is correct, the same as I believe that you do.

I believe that yelling at your children, denying them things that they enjoy, putting them in time out, restricting them to their rooms, grounding them from their friends, grounding them from going places and doing things that they enjoy can all be seen as abusive. I was recently reading in our local paper that a child here called the police and reported his parents because he felt they were abusing him because they used restricting them to their room. The police came and took the children from the home. The paper said that an investigation into the alleged abuse would take weeks and that the children would remain in protective services custody until it could be settled. I read in someone elses post that time outs are and sending them to their room are ok. Are they? From the views of some, that is also abuse.

I do not believe that any one is disagreeing that spanking causes pain. I believe that the argument here is whether or not it is abuse. You believe it is, and he does not. I would say that you both are entitled to your opinion and that until the Supreme Court in America outlaws the use of spanking as a form of punishment, it is going to be used no matter who stands against it.