Thursday, February 1, 2007

Welome to the Imagery For Kids Blog

Hello Community.

I've finally been inspired to start a blog and am absolutely thrilled. It was my last email sharing the recent article about no spanking kids under 3 in the upcoming California legislature that sparked this. I asked for comments and received many from parents and professionals expressing very different opinions. So I thought a blog would be the perfect venue to share ideas. Please feel free to add your comments to the ones I will post. And keep checking back as all kinds of topics around kids and parenting will be sure to crop up. Questions and comments welcome!

Warm regards,
Dr. Charlotte

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

B"SD
In Kelemen's "To Kindle a Soul," th author brings research to support his claims in child-rearing. On "spanking," he quotes 1998 Amercian Acadmey of Peidatrics "Guidance for Effective Discipline" 725, based on studies, that "although spanking may result in a reaction of shock by the child and cessation of the undesired behaviour, repeated spanking may lead to physical altercation between parent and child." But HERE is some of Kelemen's HEAVIER evidence AGAINST spanking: A 30 yr longitudianl study copmleted in 1991 found that, even after controlling for parental criminal activity, children who had experienced corporal punishment were TWICE as likely to be convicted of a serious crime later in life (McCord, 167-79). There is also, a correlation between freedom to spank and, gulp, HOMICIDE!!! (Straus et al 838).
A Nat'l Institute of Mental Health study (1997): Although spanking may result in compliance in the immediate situation, the available evidence shows that in the long run, it is associated w/an increased probablitiy of noncompliance, aggression, or delinquency and other antisocial behaviours (cheating, lying, bullying, cruelty, intentionally damaging rproperty and school disobedience). (Straus 763 et al).
Yale's Institute of Human Relations found a highly significant link to WIFE-beating (Levinson, "Family Violence). This is supported in an even stronger way through the Nat'l Family Violence Survey which also revealed that parents who spank their children are more likely to hit each other! Also, even ONE spanking increases the odds by 20-50% that that child will grow up and one day engage in spousal abuse (Straus 839). Chapter 5 in Kelemen's "To Kindle a Soul" deals with this in a very extensive manner. [The two big "other" surprises for ME in Kelemen's book are the conclusions of research in SLEEP deprivation for ADULTS and the consequences of watching television!!!] If you read his book, it's worth scrutinizing the research he brings. If spanking IS so detrimental in SOOO many ways, then what arguments could one muster to NOT be in favour of state legislation???

Thanks Dr. C.!

Ra'anan Elozory
Eng Ed MA
Jerusalem, Israel