Do you really think the decline in spanking has led to society's downfall?

Question

l've noticed a lot of these comments....l'm interested in what others think. Personally l believe that it's the lack of values and morals within families, and too much emphasis being placed on material success at the expense of family time, l don't think it's anything to do with spanking. What do you think?

Answer 1

NO! l think that a lot of factors such as drug & alcohol abuse, teen pregnancy, lack of financial support and a lack of 'old fashioned family values' are what's causing the decline in our society. l do think there is a definite lack of discipline for many children today, but note l say "discipline", not "spanking". I think you're spot on with the points you made, l think it's really sad the way families are being placed on the backburner these days, when they should be our priority! l think a lot of people do believe though, that if we all just start hitting our children, they will magically start to grow up perfectly. lf only it were that easy! An important thing to remember as well is that this decline hasn't started with todays generation, it started happening 3 or 4 generations ago. Most of those parents spanked!!! ln my opinion it is narrow minde and ignorant to cite not spanking as the reason why so many children have fallen off the tracks. Yes,l am anti-spanking, but no l'm not trying to push my point, this discussion is about something entirely different. l think families must start to pull together, l think more active child-rearing needs to start occuring, and more consistant discipline is needed. lf a parent is really involved in a child's life, they are taught respect for themselves and others, and discipline is firm and fair, l don't see that child ending up in jail! ln my opinion, the key is for parents to start realising that children need more than just 'looking after', they need to be raised.

Answer 2

Actually, spanking hasn't declined all that much. 40 years ago, about 90% of parents approved of spanking. Nowadays it's only gone down to about 70%. So the majority of parents are actually still spanking. If kids are worse now then there would have to be something else to blame. I would say it's mostly due to the fact that there are so many broken families and so many parents that have such busy lifestyles and have no time for their kids. These kinds of parents usually either spoil their kids rotten to try to make up for never being there, or they just see their kids as an inconvenience and treat them as such (which may include verbal abuse and "spanking" out of anger and frustration which only makes things worse).

Answer 3

Wow, that's a good question. I was spanked as a child, and I think I turned out okay. I'm a stay at home mother. My children are little monsters most of the time, and we use time out as well as taking away things (such as video games, tv time etc), and occasionally have given a swat on the bottom if the behavior is really bad. I've found that spanking doesn't work, and never has for us. I wish more moms/dads could stay at home with the kids and teach morals/values/manners to their children. I think a lot of kids these days are lazy, rude, immoral, wild and some are even cruel. There is a huge lack in supervision and I think that's one of the big reasons for these kid's behavior. I think most people focus on the spanking because it is the obvious/easiest answer to the question "What is wrong with today's youth?".

Answer 4

I think there are many things that have lead to society's downfall:



1. Lack of commitment in marriages. [Divorced parents and children never see what a real relationship with real love is.]



2. Parent's don't have the "time" to be with their kids anymore. There are better things to do. This means [like you said] there are no morals or values.



3. Lack of community. There is no one watching out for our kids. The other day I caught my neighbor's son smoking. I told his parents. They looked at me like I was invading their privacy. I sure as heck pray that if someone sees MY kids up to something they would tell me. I doubt it though.



4. Lack of discipline. PERIOD. Discipline is not only spanking but any sort of correction [time outs...and so on] for children. Many parents just let things slide or think things are 'cute' until it's too late. This also relates to not spending time with kids.



Of all my reasons as to why there is our society is drastically falling spanking is not on the list. The majority of parents spank [various polls show 60%+ parents spank] so that couldn't possibly be the reason!



Ugg, there are so many things that are wrong with the world today. I honestly don't know how we will ever fix it! Hope this helps!

Answer 5

Yes I think spanking has a lot to do with it. I was spanked & I turned into a fantastic person (if I do say so myself) but my cousin wasn't. Well she is off the rails now & doesn't fear authority or consequences as she has never had to in her life.



My family has more wealth their her family but only just so that has nothing to do with it. Our families morals & values are the same as they all came from my Grandmother so no that can't be it either.

Answer 6

When I was a kid if we did something wrong we got our butts spanked, and we respected and listened to our parents more because of it.There is a difference as to how people view discipline and abuse. The laws today go against the parent having any authority over your children, my brother spanked my nephew across the butt and he went to school and told the teacher and low and behold social services came to the house.If people are leaving bruises and scar or welts from spanking then that is abuse, but come on, we as parents are not the ones in charge, cause if we touch our kids we will be accused of child abuse, and the kids know it so why should they listen when they know you can't spank them without getting in trouble. Trust me, schools put that in our kids heads!! So yes I do think that spanking has a little to do with our society's downfall

Answer 7

The way I see it, kids were spanked for years and years. Suddenly, someone decided to scream "child abuse" and the world suddenly went downhill. With all the teenagers and kids running their parents lives. Thinking they can run the world, etc.



I'm not sure I think spanking is the only thing that caused the downfall, but it sure has a LOT to do with it.

Answer 8

Co a culture based on compettion not community...





ie without unions, hippie/illegal free party, type community...





Your church was one too but not the relgious moral bit just the whole community is part of a club with an after service teas session.



with support and community looking after teenagers and helping them pull with cool role models







that is.





ie before you had a union. People looks after each other and had a community spirit.







Now its all big brother bitchy, back stabby hurt others, bully culture.





Likewise everyone is more into money with more commuserisim. Too much alcohol dont help.





And crack dowsn on kids in rock nightclubs where trhey learnt to look out for each other.







Plus kids grwing up thinking they can form gangs so not the looser and gain power till unstopable.



not tiught with power comes responsibility for others

Answer 9

I actually don't think spanking has anything to do with it; parents with everything being so fast paced have lost the authority they once had. We now live in a world of two-income families and what happens is the kids are left on the wayside.

Answer 10

DEAR SIR ARE MISS



YES I SURE DO IF CHILDREN ARE KIDS WAS SPANKED



TODAY THERE WOULD BE LESS PROBLEMS IN THE



USA KIDS TODAY



BACK IN THE 1920 30,S 40,S 50,S 60,S 70,S 80,S WHEN



KIDS WAS SPANKED AND WELL DISCIPLINED IT



SHOWED UP IN MANY NICE FAMILY,S AND TV WAS



CLEAN NO BAD WORDS NOT EVEN IN MUSIC MOVIES



NOTHING NOT LIKE THE PG MOVIES NOW



YOU CAN NOT EVEN ENJOY TV BUT TV LAND ARE BUY



MOVIE BOX SETS OF OLD FASHION TV SHOWS



TAKE CARE

Answer 11

i don't think it has anything to do with spanking, but think about how life was 50 years ago. probably the biggest differences are that many women stayed at home while the husband worked, and the divorce rate was much much less. i think these may be more of the root than spanking. i'm sur eone could make many arguements, but i personally don't think parents not spanking their kids anymore has anything to do with how today's kids act.

Answer 12

yes and no. Yes in the sense that Spanking implements structure and discipline - which I think is lacking in our society today. and No in the sense that there are other ways to implement structure and discipline. Overall, I agree with you- spanking was just a means of implementing values and moral- but there are other ways.

Answer 13

I think it's a lot of reasons. I think lack of spanking children is a reason, girls watching naked chicks on TV in music videos, the sex before marriage thing on TV shows, parents not being there for their children, the fact that the USA is a Godless nation, the parents dropping their kids off in daycare to be raised, mothers not being in the homes to teach the childen morals and leaving it to society to deal with, parents not teaching their sons and daughters about respect for their bodies and not teaching them morals and values, people accepting teenage sex, pregnancies, and making babies out of marriage as being ok, models on TV showing off their bodies to strange men, and pressuring women and young girls into starving themselves to death all for looking "perfect".

Answer 14

Do you really think the decline in spanking has led to society's downfall?



No

Answer 15

I believe that some of the societys down falls is the parents who are afraid to spank because social services hanging over their head,the parents who does not know any means of dicipline and refuses to spank their kids because they call it abuse and the parents that abuses their kids.

Answer 16

i think the decline in common sense and lack of adequate parenting have led to society's downfall.

Answer 17

spanking just makes a child and an adult mad and resentful to the point of hating the person giving out the violence on the other person. violence tells the child that the parent is stupid and doesn't know how to handle situations that arise.spanking like any violence is a surrender of thought and a last resort. like war.

Answer 18

this society falls down because more and more people becoming selfish, and because its always all about money.

and maybe also because some fools really are believing that the world is only 10000 years old and there is no evolution.

Answer 19

Society has lead to societys downfall.

Answer 20

it isn't the decline in spanking its the decline in disciplen in general

Answer 21

i dont beleive in spankings. never spanked one of my kids. had different kinds of punishment, all three grew up drug and alcohol free and work all the time. to me spanking is child abuse. some people get carried away with it and hurt them.

Answer 22

these kids now a days if u spank them on their butts they can go to school and cry child abuse. when i was young we use to get beat with everything in site

electric cords

switches

u name it

anything in reach

but now these kids get away with murder

Answer 23

spanking may contribute but i don't think it's the only reason

Answer 24

If children don't get whats needed at home and not in school ,where? They don't get enough of whats needed.

We ALL NEED TO "GET IT".

Answer 25

Spare the rod.... Spoil the child!!

Answer 26

I agree with you.

Answer 27

Yes. Spank me! spank me!