O’Neill is doing precisely what the authors of the Lancet paper did, using a tragedy to flog his own agenda.
Hitting children with an implement, however lovingly, is generally regarded as unacceptable, as are blows to the head and shaking; the risk of serious injury is far higher than in the occasional smack from a really pissed off parent.
But O’Neill has slid it into his article, presumably in the hope that most people won’t notice what he is actually saying…
One in ten I feel is an exaggeration anyway, and like you, cannot see a ruler etc used as a punishment administered in the name of love. Going without a favourite tv prog or other treat would be more effective.
I keep my dogs away from the m-i-l as she is inclined to hit around the head and ears, and for no reason other than impatience ( heaven help my husband as a child then)
But the BabyP tragedy is rare , and was any of it administered as punishment to a 17 month old? Hardly
Ah yes; Brendan O’Neill striking a blow for parents everywhere:
‘A parent who disciplines his or her child with an implement is not acting violently: the intention is not to injure or abuse, but to discipline; the motivation is mostly love or concern rather than malice.’
Of course, he’s unspecific about the implements he has in mind, so we don’t know whether it’s rulers, belts, or whips, but presumably he knows absolutely oodles of parents out there who are hitting their children with rulers, belts, and whips in a really loving and concerned fashion.
It’s such a shame that a few bad apples spoil the barrel by using rulers, belts and whips on their children because they enjoy it…
We’ve been there before; spare the rod and spoil the child
He may wish to live in a world in which beating your child with an implement is viewed as an act of love, but I don’t.
December 7th, 2008 at 11:11 pm
O’Neill is doing precisely what the authors of the Lancet paper did, using a tragedy to flog his own agenda.
Hitting children with an implement, however lovingly, is generally regarded as unacceptable, as are blows to the head and shaking; the risk of serious injury is far higher than in the occasional smack from a really pissed off parent.
But O’Neill has slid it into his article, presumably in the hope that most people won’t notice what he is actually saying…
December 7th, 2008 at 10:44 pm
One in ten I feel is an exaggeration anyway, and like you, cannot see a ruler etc used as a punishment administered in the name of love. Going without a favourite tv prog or other treat would be more effective.
I keep my dogs away from the m-i-l as she is inclined to hit around the head and ears, and for no reason other than impatience ( heaven help my husband as a child then)
But the BabyP tragedy is rare , and was any of it administered as punishment to a 17 month old? Hardly
December 7th, 2008 at 10:05 pm
Ah yes; Brendan O’Neill striking a blow for parents everywhere:
‘A parent who disciplines his or her child with an implement is not acting violently: the intention is not to injure or abuse, but to discipline; the motivation is mostly love or concern rather than malice.’
Of course, he’s unspecific about the implements he has in mind, so we don’t know whether it’s rulers, belts, or whips, but presumably he knows absolutely oodles of parents out there who are hitting their children with rulers, belts, and whips in a really loving and concerned fashion.
It’s such a shame that a few bad apples spoil the barrel by using rulers, belts and whips on their children because they enjoy it…
We’ve been there before; spare the rod and spoil the child
He may wish to live in a world in which beating your child with an implement is viewed as an act of love, but I don’t.