What are your views on corporal punishment?

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I think on rare occasions, it is necessary so long as it's mild. I don't think it should ever be the first port of call but there is a time and place when it should be used.

How is it necessary?

In western countries the overall trend of crime is it has decreased over the centuries. How is returning to a medieval form of justice supposed to be an improvement?

Some people say "bring back the birch", when ever anything bad happens, but this is based on anecdotal perception of crime not the reality.

It is cruel and abusive and ineffective. Consequently, it should be condemned whenever practised.

Hmm I'd say for example if someone repeatedly bullies or threatens someone, a telling off will not stop them. They think there are no consequences. Corporal punishment gives clear and set consequences.

Or someone who has committed a sexual assault then it may be useful.

I think though that giving people who have nothing to do and are behaving badly something else to focus on, something thry can feel pride in doing well at, would be the first thing.

Of whom?

With children, it does more harm than good. I also propose that it is horrifyingly unethical and immoral, and those who engage in it should be treated as violent criminals.

But i should clarify that i mean corporal punishment in the dictionary sense. Not all actions that appear violent equal an intentional infliction of pain as a form of punishment.

When i was in Jr. High, in metal shop, there was a kid who decided that it would be good fun to screw around with welding equipment.

When the instructor saw him, he grabbed him by the seat of his pants, drug him to the emergency exit (just a few feet), kicked it open, and tossed him outside onto the grass.

Those actions were justified. This kid was inches from causing serious harm to classmates, or even starting a serious fire.

He wasn't hurt, either.

medical studies show that kids who are spanked are more likely to have slower brain development, be more anxious and angry and become delinquent. when they grow up, they are more likely to be obese and have arthritis and cardiovascular disease.

You think...


Why? In what way?

I'd make the counter argument, someone who has committed sexual assault, might welcome corporal punishment to say they have learned their lesson when they haven't. Sexual Assaults rarely happens in isolation, these are complex problem with a pattern of offending. Rehabilitation is not overnight affair. Caning them isn't going to stop them. It might stop for a while, but it doesn't stop the compulsion to do it.

What would be the alternative though? If someone doesn't have any discipline at all, then once they're adults it's more difficult to develop self control, never having had to exercise their self control in the past.

The brain is part of the body. So slower brain development, anxiety, obesity, arthritis and cardiovascular disease are part of the punishment. If you're strong-willed enough, you'll avoid the worst parts, so you get what you have coming. Where's the problem?

time outs, grounding, taking away a favorite activity. for example, my toddler nephew wasn't allowed to play baseball until
he stopped hitting his sister.

Corporal punishment teaches fear, it does not teach why the behavior/etc was unacceptable, it doesn't encourage a child to understand why they should self regulate, or to engage in higher order thinking skills bar the basic... remembering.
Fear of an external force is the motivation to behave in desirable ways, but without comprehension of why xyz behavior is correct.

For people with sexual assault problems, what about chemical treatment?

I do agree you have a point. As a last resort though it could help?

If they choose it. However you realize they can may still offend even after castration?

I can see of no way in which it would help. You are assuming that fear of physical pain would motivate the child to control themselves where before they just weren't motivated enough. But if all the other things have been tried- and they are strong motivators, then motivation isn't the problem. There is a different problem and that needs to be found.

It isn't a last resort though.