Pain is a natural warning process and, applied appropriately, is extremely successful. When a child is too young to understand rational argument, usually in their first two or three years of life, smacking is often the only way to discipline them.
Sadly, far too many people use smacking as a final resort, when they have already lost their temper and become out of control. This obviously results in unacceptable abuse of a child. If people were to use it as a first resort, it would be far less vicious and more effective.
However, even this misses the real issue. Any discipline, physical or otherwise, must be applied within a context of a loving relationship.
Without this context, any form of discipline will create the damaged, unbalanced and alienated children that everyone, and not simply the pressure groups, are concerned about.
Andrew Bowdler, Dinas, Powys
