It's Ironic in Journal

“Spare the rod, spoil the Child,”

Ironic that an age old proverb is used to defend a barbaric practice that we’d rather not examine.
An oxymoron, really. This proverb must be taken out of context and it’s meaning bastardized to even attempt to make it a justification for the abuse of children. Since the middle ages was no haven for young children; they were often beaten, sold to slavery, and much, much worse, this proverb was not in congruency with the times, but rather a brave jab against the prevailing practices. The rod was the shepherd’s rod; a rod of guidance, of gentle instruction and of loving protection.

Even a quick search of this phrase yields sources on it’s specific origin in ancient times, and also COPIOUS and UBIQUITOUS research about the harm of hitting children.

Recently, a FB post spurred me to respond in kind. It was one of those “This is what happens when you don’t spank your kids” memes. A horrific and sad display of an emotionally distraught child; likely absolutely terrified. Regardless of the actions of the child, who is acting out in the only way he knows how, an adult, who is AT LEAST 5 times his size and in possession of their full cognition and self restraint, NEVER has the right to enact violence against him.

Whether from an outcome perspective, or from an ethical perspective, spanking, corporal punishment, or physical and humiliating punishment, however you like to word the hitting of children, is wrong.

Because the damage from childhood abuse is so pervasive and long lasting, it is difficult to overstate the problem. When children are still being hit in our society, I think there is almost little else worthy of discussion, or even our time.

“There is increasing awareness in the general public of the negative risks of spanking. Research shows a 93% agreement that spanking is harmful. Spanking is consistently linked to increased behavioral problems, increased aggression and defiance, and lower moral internalization. It is also linked to an increased risk of mental illness in adolescence, drug and alcohol abuse, and a greater likelihood of domestic violence into adulthood. Spanking little children is particularly problematic, due to the profound effect that negative experiences can have on the rapid development of the brain in the first few years of life.”

Check out this page at https://stopspanking.org/research/ for an incomplete list of formal policy statements by developmental, medical, and psychological associations on spanking.

Last updated October 23, 2019