I'm from a family of 10 kids. If my mother had to put us in timeout every time we acted up every corner in the house would of been filled, for a good part of the day!

Another reason why our society is going down the toilet. As yourself: is society better off now or a generation ago? Today our schools are full of drugs and violence while 30 years ago the biggest crime was chewing gum in class. Time to wake up, folks.

But do you see the schools had tO deal with a situation. We bash teachers time and time again. Damned if they dO damned if they don't

Blind eyeballs. What school did you go to.There were plenty of drugs in the schools 30 years ago. Must of us got jobs, had kids and grew out of it.

My mothers time out was "wait till your father gets home." and when he did we got whipped bad. I know I deserved it and took my punishment like a man,

I raised 3 Children and never ever laid a hand on them. All three are good productive adults, in College and successful. When I was a young Mom, (no family around), I struggled with how to discipline once my child reached the “terrible twos”. I enrolled in a parenting class. The techniques I learned carried me all the way through their childhoods. I can not conceive ever hitting them. It is such a violation of respect and trust. If you can't correct your child's behavior without hitting them, perhaps you should go and take a parenting class. You might be surprised what you learn and the results it may have. After all, we want to teach our children that physical violence is never OK.

What next? Will yelling at little timmy for kicking his sister be considered verbal felony child abuse? Maybe farting in the same room should be considered child endangerment !

You are right that our society is going down the toilet. Since when is one slap across the face abusive? I have never needed to resort to it but there are moments when a slap is appropriate. I'm a mandated reporter and this is not crossing the line.

This is what happens when schools and tv tell your children spanking is "child abuse" they get a single slap and bring on the big glassy eyes exaggerate the story the only way a child can on how mommy and daddy are mean and terrible people.

IMO a slap that leaves a mark is abusive. On the other hand a kick in the a$$ never hurt "nobody".

A good smack gave me the lesson I needed while I was growing up. It only took one for me to learn. I'm sure the justices must have gotten smacked as well - they couldn't have all been good little angels. Perhaps they need a smack now!

Look how long the bruise lasted -- overnight (unless the article is mistaken), and even after trying to hide it with a cold washcloth. Those who think this isn't abusive -- would you place any limit on a parent's 'right' to resort to physical discipline?

My mother would have been in jail for life! I'm 70 and survived, we never had that "Wait till your father gets home routine”. As Bill Cosby often said, his mother could throw a shoe around the corner and hit the target. We also shared a coke with friends, kissed the dog, ate peanut butter and drank from the garden hose, WOW, were still here. All without PC judges and DYFS. I just don't know how we made it.

An adult should never hit a child with force anywhere around the head area, neck included, especially when the adult is angry. Such a blow is dangerous and could cause injury. A well directed smack to the backside gets their attention just as well and its a lot safer.

A child should be punished for their bad behavior. However, a parent should punish the child out of love not anger. If a parent is enraged they should not approach to punish, get your senses about you then punish. There is a difference from smacking your child and spanking your child. If a child goes without being punished, their hearts harden to good things. No remorse-no compassion, no compassion-no respect, and that is what our kids are lacking now a days.

My parents each hit me once when I was kid and that was enough for me to know they weren't messing around. After that, them giving me the evil eye if i was acting out of line was all it took because I respected their authority. I in no way support child abuse but coddling your kids isn't going to do them any good. Generally, if you let your kids walk all over you, they are going to go out and do the same to every adult they encounter.

Teaching children through violence is never ok, and never appropriate. If you can't find a civilized and effective way to discipline your child, maybe you are not ready to be a parent.

did they take into consideration the child's complexion? My boys both have really fair skin, if you tickle them it leaves red marks on his belly. They are constantly covered in bruises that they don't even know where they came from, nor do they hurt. Scary to think I could be considered an abuse parent for tickling my kids.

This is what is wrong with kids and society today. You punish your child or give them a swat on the butt, and someone calls the state on you. These kids are taught in school that if they are being hurt at home they should tell. Yes if they are being HURT, not because they were grounded for the weekend, or wasnt allowed to go hang out at the boardwalk or the mall.

When we were kids, you didnt talk back, you didnt question your parents, or your wouldnt be able to sit for a day. Kids today have no respect for authority, and when you try to discipline them, you are considered abusive.

I can't imagine anyone thinking it's ok to slap a child in the face. Now a good hard slap on the butt or hand is fine. Punishing a child and not letting them go out or watch TV (or go on their computer) is also a good punishment but slapping a child on the face is absolutely wrong.

My parents never hit me in the face, but I did get smacked on the butt occasionally to get my attention. It was effective. And as crazy as it sounds I'm not a career criminal and I don't go around beating people up.

If you hit and bruise another adult you will be arrested but hit a child and bruise them it's honkey dorey. Violence begets violence.

I had an italian mother, she was the best in the world. If we deserved a smack, she gave it out, noever my Dad. She never gave it out unless we had it comming. She and my wonderful Dad raised three kids to be responsible decent people. What I wouldn't give right now to have her back..............

I find it depressing that we have police officers assigned to the schools. In time these kids that go to the schools with cops as part of thier daily hallway scenes will accept that as normal. I think it is alarming that we need or even accept having police establishing routine patrol areas inside the school system on a daily basis.

Perhaps there has been some over reacting with regard to raising children when the court system gets involved.

Will we eventually place police in the workplace, when the child who is used to them in his school, goes to work?

The Romans allowed a father to kill a child up to the age of majority with no recourse in law as children were property. And of course women had no rights at all. In the USA, animal rights were put in place before children's rights. Some want to return to these "good old days." A slap hard enough to leave fingerprints and a bruise the next day could also cause injury to small blood vessels in the brain (think shaken baby syndrome). No, it's not OK. Oh, I happen to be a physician with a specialty in brain injury...

If the police were called because a man and woman were fighting and the woman had a hand print on her face it would, rightfully so, be considered abuse and the man would get arrested. I see no difference between that slap and this one. A child should never be hit in the face - what kind of barbaric teaching is that?? Discipline yes - by all means - but physical abuse - no - never. A child should be taught to respect others by being respected, should be taught compassion by being shown compassion, empathy by having empathy shown to them. Exactly what does hitting teach a child? Let me tell you - it teaches a child not to trust, that if someone makes them angry enough you can hit them. Not the lesson I want my child to receive.

OK Folks, according to the Superior Court of NJ in 2003, it is not abuse to continually beat your children even if you have a video of it. This is my (now ex) wife beating my children (2 videos) (if links don't work search youtube for "mother beats children and husband and gets custody OR TheAmazingOlderMan)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9u5lxc3Ccw&list=UUhRn3KhQP5Lf50xPcvLusHg&index=18&feature=plcp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SC0edn3O6aA&list=UUhRn3KhQP5Lf50xPcvLusHg&index=1&feature=plcp

My mother slapped me across the face exactly one time in my life, when I was 16. I don't remember what we were fighting about, but she was a single mom under a lot of stress and I'm sure I was being a major brat. When I look back on it at the age of 42, I can say my mom was/is probably one of the best moms that ever was or ever will be. Abusive? No way. I certainly learned my lesson well that day and probably came out better for the experience.

The violence in our schools comes from parents not parenting effectively. How many parents are in contact with their child teachers? When you are a parent your life has to evolve around them. You have to know where they are, who they spend time with and what is on their minds. You have to talk to them, spend time with them. They have to be the no 1 priority in your life.
If you have hit your child recently, go and sit down with this child and ask him/her how they could have handled the situation better and also ask them how you could have handled it better. And come up with a compromise or solution with your child, for the next time you need to discipline your child.

When I was growing up, I was hit with a belt, a wooden spoon or whatever my mom could grab fast. I vowed not to do that with my kids. I was a yeller and my kids knew I was mad! They were sent to their room afterwards to think about things. They are successful and they have never been in trouble with the law!

Oh yeah, well when i was growing up I was whacked upside the headpiece with an anvil while eating a bar of soap and acting as an ashtray. I am successfully lounging in a prison cell so that proves violence works! PS Simpletruth, your kids were the biggest trouble makers ive ever met.

jeez, how hard are u hitting a kid when it leaves a bruise on their face. i've given my daughter a smack here or there but never hard enough to leave a bruise. wow

Personally I do not believe in hitting children, and here is the reason why. Many people hit their children not to "teach them a lesson" but rather to release their own frustration at the child not listening to them. The child is forced to be physically abused and does not have the right to defend themselves. There just isn't anything right about that. How would an adult feel if they were hit everytime they ticked somebody off and then were not allowed to fight back?

Most parents today are afraid of their children and want to be their friends. They negotiate with them. As the "children" grow up, they cannot accept authority as in the case of a boss at a job. They become unable to function in a structured environment. A good kick in pants when they deserve it is good for them. The jails could not hold all the parents who have smacked their kids.

A smack on the butt if really needed when they are little avoids a need to abuse them as they get older. Maybe a little more involvement by parents as kids grow and learn would make beating them or medicating them as they get older unnecessary.

Babe truth.. jealousy will get you nowhere! We prefer to stay on the "right" side of the law! According to your lounging arrangements, you must prefer the"other" side. I feel for you.

Striking someone who is in your face and offensive is a normal, simple and unlearned human reaction. When you become a parent your relinquish your rights to those sorts of simple reactions in regards to your children. You consider who the child is and apply appropriate measures. A toddler is not an 8 year old is not a 12 year old is not a 15 year old. A tractable child who changes into a hell-raiser needs investigation, not knee jerk reactions. That being said no one has focused on the brother acting out on the sister. One sibling cannot be allowed to abuse another, period. Abusing the offender in return teaches no lesson worth being noticed. If the court system in turn teaches that the parents are powerless in regards to their children we have the mess we are in. It's all about emotional intelligence and having the wisdom to apply power in a way that causes growth.

To hit a child in the face or head with force is, to my mind, a declaration of failure as a parent,

I raised 4 kids. Never paddled any of them more than 3 times. I grew up slapped and beat regularly. My mind was impaled with violent rejection, coldness and unfairness. I've been in more fights than anyone else. Marines, boxing and street. My mind churns with conflict when its not occupied with pleasant things. I had empathy and dedication to my kids. I broke my side of the curse for them. And they are well.