Everyday parents and/or gaurdians hit their children out of anger and impulse as a form of punishment. Although in many countries hitting a child under the age of eighteen is illegal, many Americans choose a form of physical punishment because many believe it is the best way to get a point across. Often many parents teach their children "not to hit" as a lesson to learn well, but why shouldn't parents practice what they preach? The problem with this is, is that many do not know the line drawn between spanking a child and child abuse. Spanking often starts when a child is young, but when that child turns into a teenager, many parents start thinkning a spanking on the butt is not going to get a point across.
What can this turn into? Many parents do not even realize the harm they are causing their children, when there are many others ways to punish. Many are just trying to do what's right by teaching a lesson, perhaps they teaching a wrong lesson by showing anger.
Anger can cause a child to grow up thinking hitting is okay, making them think it is ok to bring aggression elsewhere. Maybe this could lead to fights in school, making it harder for a child to concentrateon their education. Maybe they will see nothing wrong with physical punishment and continue to use it when they have kids of their own in the future.
Yes there are parents who have to act in anger in order to enforce a household rule or to punish a child who has misbehaved; however, there are many more parents who can punish without emotion and clearly delineate between correction and abuse. When California tried to enact legislation in 2009 telling parents they couldn't spank their kids, there was a political backlash and parents united to make sure that government stayed out of the realm of correction. I say trust the parents to do the right thing. The abusers will be brought to justice.
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