User blog comment:Anonymous ONI agent/Kids & Halo/@comment-2054090-20100618171649

I mostly agree with you, Matt, however the reasons why we don't spank adult are 1) children are not the same as adult, the do have basic laws protecting them from child abuse, however they can't vote, they can't drink and they can't do a hell of a lot of things that adults can do. 2) if you were to spank an adult, that would have quite the different connotation. My problem with spanking is that it'll give children the idea that things can only be solved through physical means. Also I noticed that parents who spank their children are usually more aggressive themselves.

That being said I am mostly against physical punishments, seeing as they walk a very fine line between consequence and abuse. I think that having an authoritative style where you explain to the child that he/she has done wrong, and give them a logical consequence (or need be a natural consequence) will help them understand the difference between right and wrong.