I had to withhold myself on this matter.........believe it or not, I did receive spankings or slap across the face (when older) when I backtalk or being blantantly definant. I deserved it! Never been hit with a belt but a flat hand or paddle or a very wide spoon (not a skinny one!). One time I did remember my grandmother taking a switch on me...man, that bites but I sure did what she asked me to do instead of saying NO I don't want to! Grandpa even spanked me but all of my relatives are kind and firm and spanking as a last resort or nothing goes well with the child that can not control herself.
Guess what, when we went to family counseling a few weeks ago, our psychologist had the nerve to call the DCFS on us because we simply spanked her with our hand or spoon paddle. Once or twice spank and that was it. We would say after we spanked our daughter WHY we did it and we still love her and hug and kiss her afterwards. That was more than enough and she does not get a spanking every day but more like if she is anything more, once every four to six weeks she would have a total meltdown, I mean totally uncontrollable that words or sitting on the chair on time out just would not work. It just bring her attention and focus right back i nthe groove and she rarely give me grief even she has ADHD. The longest she had was over six months without any spankings or smackings. A firm word, time out to her bedroom and being consisent worked for us MOST of the time when she is testing us.
I told the psychologist and counselors there, ok, BRING THEM ON and my whole family will back me up. Heck I even have cousins and cousin in laws that spank their kids...nope, I am not going to report them either because they didnt have bruises, nor "fearful" look like if they have been beaten, or anything remotely that requires immediate help. Nope, I have seen those kids test their parents and even one would cross the street when his mother screamed at him to stop but he didn't. So she gave him a couple smacks, told him firmly he is to stop to wait for her before crossing the street and explain why it is so dangerous to cross the street. I am still waiting on DCFS anyway...been three weeks now......because they do not agree with the spanking or smacking because it is illegial to do this corporal punishment because it consider abuse....I thought what! We are no where abusive to her, there ARE no bruises on my daughter and she was just at the doctor and you aint going to say otherwise!
In this sorry town, there are 650 kids here in Decatur that is being reported, only five sent to foster care or protective services. Overwhelming majority is because someone reported the parents or guardians in spanking or smacking the kids....there is a difference between disclipinary actions and abuse.
Like my father said, those type of people ARE abusing our kids by letting the kids do what they want to do when parents are so scared of being reported.
I will spank my daughter when I see fit, and the last resort when communication or time outs failed or in very dangerous situations (like crossing the street without listening to us). But to someone elses kids, I'll let the parent decide whats best for their kids because they know them much better than I do and they can get the most effective manner when they know what works. Beating is one thing but spanking is not.
As for the OP's of this thread, I have to say, he went a bit too far and something tells me it is like a bait and switch like kind of thing to get it recorded and she can get baddier so he would up the ante with his disclipinary actions a bit further. Kids are smart about that and they know what buttons to push. Yes I have seen fathers whopped their teenage daughters (mostly in the black community) and most of them do deserved it (they got mouthy with their parents, defiant, know it all) pushing all the buttons to get to the extreme side of it that causes the cops to take her away because she would want to get it her way or be taken away.
I don't know the whole story of it but it sure does happen more here and closed doors. Beatings or abuse should be reported but spankings and smacking when you are not angry but disappointed should not be.
Those are my opinions.