Dr Boyce Watkins advocates for spanking as a desirable way of raising children. I disagree wholeheartedly. We as Black parents should stop spanking our children. The American Pediatric Association has recommended strongly that parents not spank their children but talk to them and reprimand them by withholding privileges. The research evidence over many decades is that children who are spanked are ON AVERAGE more likely to engage in anti-social and even violent behavior. Spanking communicates to children that it is acceptable for those who are physically stronger to impose their will on the physically smaller and weaker. Why would a high percentage of children raised with spanking not take that message of violent subjugation into their dealings with their partners and their peers? It is undeniable that the levels of domestic violence and homicides are unacceptably high in our Black communities. I think we should consider pulling back from the violence of spanking our children. The practice of spanking only legitimates violence as acceptable in human relations. Spanking children is a lazy way to parent. Talking to kids and then withholding privileges is the harder but more productive and effective way to parent. And talking to our kids and reasoning with them through a problem will solve another big problem in our community. That talking and reasoning means that in growing up our kids will hear more words and engage in more reasoning. At this point our kids start schools having heard almost a million words less than kids from other communities. That is a serious disadvantage. Bottom line. There is no research or reasons that supports spanking as a good way to rear children. We as Black parents should stop spanking our children.
Posted on: Sat, 10 Aug 2013 22:33:46 +0000
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