Spanking Is Child Abuse

The United States government has made laws that say battery, domestic violence, and animal abuse is illegal --- so why is it okay to strike a child? How is a child the least protected person out of all those scenarios? I find it ironic that in all fifty U.S., domestic violence is illegal, yet spanking is not. As parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, teachers, coaches and caretakers it is our job to protect and keep children safe. Children are not only vulnerable, but are also completely reliant on adults to help guide them through life. We tell children that it is not okay to hit another person, then turn around and spank them for not doing what they are supposed to do. We often hear people say “I was spanked as a child, and I turned out just fine.” While that may be true for some, studies are showing that spanking is ineffective and is child abuse. I plan to explain what child abuse is and why spanking is child abuse.

Child abuse harms the child physically. Harming a child physically can mean many things ranging from hitting, pushing, punching, kicking or dragging. According to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention, “Physical abuse includes physical acts ranging from those which do not leave a physical mark on the child to physical acts which cause permanent disability, disfigurement, or death” (Leeb et al. 14). Hitting a child on the butt for running out into the street or pushing a child down on the bed to get them to sit down