Spanking is used widely around the world as a form of discipline towards a child; however, some people say this action may be considered child abuse. According to childhelp.org, child abuse can be defined as when, “a parent or caregiver, whether through action or failing to act, causes injury, death, emotional harm or risk of serious harm to a child.” Child maltreatment can come in the forms of neglect, physical abuse, sexual abuse, exploitation and emotional abuse. However, spanking does not fall under the category of child abuse because it does not cause serious injury or long-term emotional abuse.
Signs of a child being physically abused include bruises, cuts, burns, fractures, internal injuries or brain damage. When none of these characteristics are present, it cannot be considered child abuse. A typical spanking should not cause any of those types of injuries. In fact, spanking is considered acceptable in our society and sometimes very necessary to discipline a child. A spanking is an open-handed hit on the behind, which should never cause severe bruising, bleeding, or scars. A parent should remain in control when spanking their child, and it should never be used as a way to vent out their anger towards a child. The
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There are studies that link the long-term effects of child abuse to those of spanking, but to a lesser degree. Of course, there is a risk of child withholding severe injuries if the spanking is careless, which is why a spanking should never be with foreign objects, such as a rod or belt. If that were the case, then the action could arguably be seen as child abuse. Not to mention, if the spanking is conducted by aggressive, abusive parents that have a difficult time controlling their emotions. Consequently, a spanking should never be directly on a child’s skin; and a parent should never spank a child continuously, once is