Wow, possibly a year in prison for light smacking. That is laughable in my eyes, I can't believe that is actually a law.
As far as the studies go, I had looked stuff up like that before and I can't bring myself to put too much stock into the results. There are just too many variables to consider. Like one study said about how low-income, lower-class parents are more likely to hit their children. Are their behavioral problems as teens and young adults because of the spankings or is it other factors, perhaps an unstable family structure, or effects of poverty or something like that? I feel like the term "corporal punishment" is too broad for what we are really talking about here. I don't even want to use the term because everyone can realize the big difference between light spanking and whipping your kid with a belt. It's like using the term "drugs" when there is obviously a big difference between smoking weed and smoking meth.
So of course I think "corporal punishment" is going to lead to problems for people down the road, because the term includes everything from light spanking to beating a kid with a broomstick or punching them or something. All I know is that spanking your kid is pretty normal around here and nobody seems to have a problem with it. I know kids that were beaten by their fathers who DID grow up to have violence issues. But I don't see how light spanking at a young age would lead to growing up and abusing alcohol, hitting your wife, etc. I knew in my early teen years that I deserved the spankings that I got as a child, and it helped teach me right from wrong. I was easily able to understand why I was spanked and that hurting or injuring me was not the idea behind it. It was to teach me a lesson and I am grateful for it.
At a young age, when cognitive abilities and critical thinking is still limited, I feel like the best way to teach someone is by spanking them. Sometimes telling kids "no" doesn't work, they don't understand or care.
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