Spare the Rod and Spoil the Child
28 October 2007
In May, the New Zealand government removed the ability for parents to smack their children on the basis that they used "reasonable force". This raised the possibility that parents would be prosecuted for giving their children a small smack. This caused outrage amongst parents who were worried that they would become criminals.
Thankfully, it appears that the police are not going this far. A recent news item shows that while CYFS and the police are becoming aware of parents who are hitting their kids, they are not taking any action. This is only fair.
It is for parents to decide what discipline they use with their children. As long as the smacking does not cause any long term harm, a small slap can be an effective way to prevent a child from doing something wrong. I applaud CYFS and the police for not prosecuting.