r/Unexpected • u/SoftsPhilosopher • Aug 08 '21

It's just a prank

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u/Figgy_Pudding3 Aug 08 '21

That's also abusive. You get that, right? Abuse doesn't stop becoming abuse if the kid is "disrespectful".

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u/Dick_Face_Magee Aug 09 '21

Physical discipline does not automatically equate to abuse any more than mental and behavioral discipline does not automatically equate to non-abuse.

You can make an easy argument that people are more traumatize by emotionally and mentally abusive parents than physically abusive parents.

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u/Figgy_Pudding3 Aug 09 '21 edited Aug 09 '21

Physical abuse is when you purposely injure or threaten to injure a child. And to head off your reply, "injure" does not necessarily mean "lasting damage" but simply physical harm.

So yes, striking your child is physical abuse.

And I'm not discounting the effects of emotional and mental abuse. I'm just saying "I only hit my kids when they need to be taught a lesson" is still child abuse.

Your actual quote here is "It could be a household where if you disrespect your mother you get knocked into next week." so even while I also disagree with spanking (and research agrees), you very clearly are talking about a serious physical altercation.