Dare To Ask Talk And News About Our Differences - This topic has 9 replies, 9 voices, and was last updated 20 years, 9 months ago by
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It seems that many black people favor using corporal punishment to discipline children. What is the reason that blacks seem to support this method more than whites? Or, is this actually a socioeconomic difference, as many poorer white people also seem to use physical punishment more often than middle- or upper-class whites? Are there the same socioeconomic differences in black child-rearing?
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Name : n/a, Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 50, City : Philadelphia, State : PA, Country : United States, Occupation : teacher, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper class,I can’t speak for an entire race of people, but as a black mother, here’s my take: I think it’s a cultural difference. Many black parents of all income levels strongly believe in the saying, ‘Spare the rod, spoil the child.’ It’s also a fact that an unruly, undisciplined black child will face harsher consequences in this society than a white child. Black children who misbehave in school are more likely to be labeled ‘hyperactive,’ or be suspended or placed in ‘special education’ classes. For this reason, I think black parents want to help their children understand the importance of following the rules. When I grew up, I was spanked with a belt and a green switch. I don’t use anything but a swat on the behind with my hand for my 8-year-old daughter. Even so, I only have to spank her a few times a year. But the result is the same: a more obedient, more disciplined child. I can’t defend the kind of beatings that leave lasting scars – that’s outright child abuse. But I believe in spanking a child who’s out of control and disrespectful.
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Name : Cindy31937, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : African Methodist Episcopalian, Age : 35, City : Topeka, State : KS, Country : United States, Occupation : Manager, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class,Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my question. I think you’ve made a good argument that black children are more likely to face harsher and more long-lasting consequences than white children if they misbehave in school. And I agree that a very occasional swat on the behind by a supportive, affectionate parent would be one way of making an effective point and would do no harm. (I still strongly prefer non-physical discipline and found it very effective with my kids, but I bet your daughter is a real doll.) I’m just frustrated because many of the kids I see in the inner city where I work are beaten for every infraction, both minor (a little eye-rolling) to major (chair-throwing). The kids who show the most dangerous behavior are always the ones who are beaten the most. These parents think they are disciplining their children and don’t seem to recognize when what they are doing is not working. I feel like I’m watching parents unwittingly destroy their own children’s lives
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Name : n/a, Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 50, City : Philadelphia, State : PA, Country : United States, Occupation : teacher, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper class,I believe there is historical merit in blacks’ using these types of punishment strategies. Mainly, that it was better for a black child’s parent/s to inflict the punishment in an effort to get the child to adhere to societal expectations, rather than the slave master to do so. In those days, I believe this was the quickest and easiest method of punishment. There was no time for time-outs or other psychological-type punishments. I believe this practice continues today because it is a tried-and-true method. I received spankings as a child, and I have grown up to be a responsible, law-abiding citizen.
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Name : Peaches, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Age : 25, City : Atlanta, State : GA, Country : United States, Occupation : Social Researcher, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,Though some might say it’s no excuse or a reason, I’d say black parents favor spanking their children moreso than their white counterparts because of the idea of disciplining through spanking has been handed down. After all, weren’t the slaves who rebelled beaten in order to subdue them? In the same way, this psychological effect has stayed with many black parents as a way to subdue their children.
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Name : Orleanas19974, Race : Black/African American, City : Boston, State : MA, Country : United States,I don’t believe in corporal punishment for my children. I don’t beleive it works, and my parents never used it on me. White people, somewhere in their subconscious, have beaten enough people. That’s why I think they stay away from corporal punishment. But white people do beat their children. Yyou don’t know every white person, and would I tell you that I beat my children? I don’t think so.
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Name : Kim, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Baptist, Age : 34, City : Atlanta, State : GA, Country : United States, Occupation : homemaker, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper class,African-American’s methods of child rearing are a direct reflection of African influences. For example, in some areas of western Africa (where most slaves were stolen from), a rite of passage for males is the ability to stoically withstand measured beatings. I am sure the experience of slavery and the incipient beatings as part of that reality has had some sort pf psychological impact, as well. However, and most importantly, the approach to child rearing, in which whipping the child has played a significant role has always been a part of the landscape of African culture.
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Name : William, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Hispanic/African-American, Age : 42, City : New York, State : NY, Country : United States, Occupation : Professor/Clinical Counselor, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class,People generally raise their children the way that they were raised. I was spanked as a child with a belt, and I think it kept me in line,but it was in addition to knowing that my parents loved me. I think now-a-days, people don’t know where to draw the line while disciplining children, which causes all the commotion. Some people feel that hitting with shoes, and brooms, and other objects is a form of discipline, because a lot of times, especially back in the 70’s, parents(black parents) would grab the closest thing they could reach and bop you, and it wasn’t considered child abuse, so it’s passed on to the next generation. But because it was instilled in us,(african-americans) as children, that a spanking is what you got when you were misbehaving, and it seemed to serve its purpose, it’s true that you will see alot of black parents spanking more that white parents, but it’s also true that people do need to learn where and how to draw the line.
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Name : Erika25246, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 30, City : Los Angeles, State : CA, Country : United States, Occupation : Graduate Student, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,In the United Kingdom, I would say that smacking children is more a matter of conscience than race. There are a lot of Guardian-reading liberals who think that all corporal punishment is bad. I was smacked as a child and am (I think) a law-abiding, good citizen, and I intend to smack my children if I ever have any.
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Name : frankierabbit, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Pagan, Age : 20, City : Salisbury, State : NA, Country : United Kingdom, Occupation : Student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,Personally, I think it doesnt have anything to do with the spanking, I think it’s deeper than that. Children learn from example and it is somewhat lazy to simply beat (spank) your children in lieu of talking to them about what they did and using ‘discipline’ as opposed to punishments for every infraction. These lazy parents who simply spank or beat their children for misbehaviors without any discipline involved are more likely to be setting a poor example for their children in other respects, in their every day lives.
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Name : Becki, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 28, City : Philadelphia, State : PA, Country : United States, Occupation : Social Worker, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,
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