I vote to spank, no question!
when you dont spank or at least have some type of punishment (that really hurts whether its mental,emotional, or physical.)It teaches them that there are no consequences to doing wrong! Instead of them finding out when they are in some type of juvenile facility then its too late they have already formed their personality to the point that its really hard to change and most dont try because they are in a "HABIT" of acting and being this way.
this is a very hard thing to do late in life it HAS to start very early!

I thank my parents for those spankings and for caring so much. A spanking is not a beating, it taught me there is a consequence for actions, good consequences for right choices, bad consequences for bad choices. It did not stop me from ever breaking the rules as I grew up, I was very mischievous. But it did make me think, is it worth the risk, and 95 times out of a 100, I chose not to take the risk. My parents were very consistent, if you broke the rules,there was a discussion (for me the worst part of the whipping) then the spanking. It kept me from ever getting into drugs or breaking the law.
I have worked in social services for many years, I have seen abuse, both kinds. The kind where a child is knocked around, cursed, name called, even shot or stabbed. It had nothing to do with real discipline, it was the reaction usually of, drunken or drug addicted parents, or parents with mental issues. I have also seen the flip side of abuse. Children who have never had any kind of discipline that they cared about, children who sneer, what you going to do? Take away my TV? My games? BooHoo.
Then these children turn the magic number 18. All their lives they have gone without a real consequence for their actions. But when they hit 18, we change the rules. Now they break the rules, they go to jail. Which is more cruel? Now they will get beat down, and abused. Be consistent, don't bounce the rules around. Start spanking a child when they are small, small spankings for small children, bigger spankings for bigger children, and by the time they become big enough to get into real trouble, they know better.
The abusive parent is not affected much by rules to spank or not to spank anyway. Their actions are a reaction caused by something internal going on with them. They are not thinking about whether or not this is legal when they abuse their children. But for us to prevent loving parents from teaching their children right from wrong, all I can say is, we and the children will reap what we have sown.
One last comment, we had a fellow come in and teach at one of our training seminars. I will never forget, an example he used for saying spanking is abuse. The example was a rat on a divided grid. He said in the experiment, they would shock the rat, and it would jump to the other side of the grid. He said they would then make that side shock the rat, and it would jump to the other side. He said after a while the rat would give up, just set there and be shocked. He was semi correct, that is called abuse. I do know this, if you only shocked the rat when he went on the side of the grid you did not want him on, it would only take a couple of shocks, and he would not go back on that side of the grid.

There is a difference between spanking , hitting and slapping . Parents tell their screaming child " now honey we dont do that". A squat on the butt is not teaching him or her violence , it is saying pay attention to what I say. My daughter gave me trouble when she was 14 and the officer of the court told me I was her mother not her friend and just dont leave marks. I didn't hit her but maybe i should have spanked her when she was littler . Where oh where is the woodshed when you need it?

Hey when I was growing up spanking was the punishment for doing something I was told not to do. Guess what, I turned out great!
Parents today are so scared to touch their kids and the kids know it. They go out and do whatever they want, like steal, or do drugs, mouth off to their parents or other adults and they know that nothing will happen to them. I know of a lady that keeps asking the cops if she can spank her child. Come on parents, suck it up and BE A PARENT!!!!! making them stand in a corner is
going to teach them NOTHING, and it's just plain stupid.

I agree with the other two posters,children today are so disrespectful. I was raised by the belief of spare the rod spoil the child and boy the rod was not spared and I survived and I thank God for the parents I have and the values I was provided with to enter into the world as a responsible adult. My brothers and sisters and I were given rules and told the conquences should we break those rules. We all at one time or another tried and yes we even got some by our parents only to feel guilty about it because we had been provided morals. Where are the morals of today? As a mother I raised my two children with the same rules and morals as my parents did me and they have grown into responsible young adults raising their children with the same rules. Those parents out there that are sparing the rod are doing their children such a disservice. As to the Family that prompted this question in the first place they need to get themselves and all those children off of TV and out of the public eye. Is the distruction of their marriage and a family atomphere worth the money they are being paid? The one and only episode I have watch I was like WOW...no wonder things are so messed up when 5 year olds tell their father to "Shut UP" because they are doing interviews. The mother needs to work on being a mother and less of a drama queen Reality Star...give us a break ...please!!!

Spank but don't beat...it won't kill them...I survived and I'm in my 50's...so did all of the kids in my neighborhood even my friends moms would spank me if I needed it while in their care and that's how it should be...society is too eager to jump to conclusions and want to yell.......SUE!!!!

Lets get back to OLD School ways.