Should a smack as part of good parental correction be a criminal offence in New Zealand??

Reasons To Disagree

Of course it should not. The problem we have is Sue Bradford and her supporters keep refering to bashing children but this was illegal under the old law!

I never have and never will smack my children, but I don't believe there should be a law against it.

It shoudnt be an offence here in N.Z because some people know how far a discipline smack can go and some kids need a little "tap" in the right direction

Don't ask adults - ask the kids. They do actually want to know where the boundaries are. They push their care-givers to find where those limits are. Most kids actually prefer instant discipline rather than protracted hectoring and shaming by time-out. A young child cannot always understand reasoned explanations so will continue to misbehave. A smack is easily understood and gets the desired response. Many parents who disagree rant, rave and grossly verbally abuse their child - is THAT good parenting? No way! That treatment "puts down" and alienates the child making them feel small and not wanted. Perhaps Bradford was grossly abused as a child, I do not know, but the chip on her shoulder suggests to me that, perhaps, she was. TO IGNORE THE RESULT OF THE REFERENDUM IS CRIMINAL - THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN - BADFORD HAS BEEN GIVEN THE MESSAGE - SHE IS WRONG! THE AS LAW UNDERMINES PARENTS ABILITY & CONFIDENCE IN RAISING THEIR CHILDREN PROPERLY. PERHAPS WORST OF ALL - IT UNDERMINES THE CHILD'S CONFIDENCE IN THEIR PARENTS.

Reasons To Agree

yup. i was smacked as a kid. those memories will never leave me. it was hell and just drove me the wrong way. it made me scared of talking about things to my parents and i went and did drugs and a lot worse things that i never expected because they made me so angry. you may mean a light smack?....well some people never know when to stop.