Fear of Using Discipline
Re “When Punishment Becomes Child Abuse,” Voices, May 18: The “misconception” to which Daniel Brezenoff refers can be blamed on King Solomon, who wrote in Proverbs 13:24, “He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently.” Brezenoff writes, “Appropriate physical discipline, while in no way necessary, does not appear to traumatize children.”
While burning his son’s hand was excessive, at least Wellington Soto cared enough to deter his son from stealing. How many kids don’t even have a father around to correct them? Ours is now a culture of “tolerating” undisciplined children. Parents fear that using strong discipline, the kind that most of us got in my neighborhood when we were kids, will now be interpreted as “abuse,” leading to an appointment with the district attorney.
Scott Golden
La Mirada
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