This Mom Was Taken To Court For Something That Many Parents Do

#1 Should Children Be Punished By Spankings

You may love your kids with every fiber of your soul, but it becomes necessary to punish them every now and then. Punishment teaches children how to become healthy, responsible adults. But not all punishments are treated the same.

#2 New Parents Believe It's Fine To Spank Their Children

Four out of five Americans think it is socially acceptable in some instances to spank a child. While spanking is widely accepted by older generations, many first-time Millennial parents are also taking up spanking. You might find it shocking to discover that 72 percent of Millennial parents believe there is nothing wrong with it.

#3 Spanking Used To Be Handed Out By Priests, Teachers, And Even Neighbors

Our parents or grandparent grew up in a time when it was just fine for teachers, neighbors, or any other adult to spank a child that they deemed was misbehaving. Though it fell out fashion over the years, it is highly controversial in many places where professionals cannot agree if the punishment fits the crime. Some social workers believe that we need more spankings, while others believe it is very harmful emotionally as well as physically.

#4 Missouri Woman Arrested For Spanking Daughter

To spank or not to spank? That is the age-old question. It's important to note that it is illegal to spank a child in most of the United States. One 26-year-old Missouri woman was pushed into the spotlight after spanking her daughter got her in some pretty hot water.

#5 She Was Disciplined In An Unconventional Manner

A 26-year-old mother from Raymore, Missouri, a Kansas City suburb, was charged with domestic assault after spanking her six-year-old daughter. According to the courts, she disciplined the girl in a very unconventional way. That way was a few slaps on the bare bottom.

#6 She Spanked The Girls Bare Bottom Six Times

While motivations for the spanking have not been disclosed, a lawyer representing the mom reported that the woman had spanked her daughter more than five times, leaving mild bruising on her buttocks.

#7 Estranged Husband Noticed The Bruises

A case was built against the mother after the girl's father, who is estranged from the mother, discovered the bruises on his daughter when she was staying with him for a weekend visit.

#8 Moms Boyfriend Also Spanked The Six Year Old As Discipline

During the case, it was also revealed that the mother's current boyfriend had spanked the daughter on multiple occasions. The woman's lawyer argued that the spanking was used as a disciplinary measure on both accounts rather than an expression of anger.

#9 Spanking Is Legal In MO

But some people think the courts went too far when they brought this mom up on charges, since spanking a child is legal in the state of Missouri.

#10 Spanking Is An Acceptable Form Of Discipline

Missouri state laws regarding child discipline do allow for the use of physical punishment such as spanking in cases where it is used as a parenting tool, rather than as a form of abuse. The laws consider any violent act that does not bear risk of severe disfigurement, pain, or emotional distress to be an acceptable form of discipline.

#11 Mother Gets Off With All Charges Dropped

All charges against the mother were dropped after a jury decided that the woman's actions were used to discipline a child. It's not that the jury agrees with corporal punishment; it's just that the mom's boyfriend had also spanked the child that day, so it was impossible to prove who caused the bruising.

#12 Do You Think Think Spanking Is OK?

Spanking and aggressive actions in the home could lead to a child acting out even more or taking that behavior into adulthood, but children need to be taught right from wrong. Still, one could see the argument to both sides. Was the Missouri court right in dropping the charges? Have you ever spanked your son or daughter?

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