Is it right to hit your kids?

What do you do when a child is being abused in public? Do you intervene or do you pass on by? If the parent/guardian is inflicting minor abuse, is this then permissible? The question is do parents have the right to discipline their kids, or is this a breach of child's basic human rights?

Here at BounceColor we wanted to discuss the topic of child abuse, and research whether in our modern age there is even any evidence that disciplining children is of any benefit to them and their well-being.
A parent shaking their child or shouting and being verbaly abusive towards them in a public situation could bring about many concerned stares, rough comments and possibly and intervention. A call to the police reporting the incident may also follow. There is no need to discuss whether extreme violence should be a way of disciplining children. The line is quite clearly drawn.

However, the line remains vage when it comes to light discipline. Kids are increasingly behaving worse as parenting styles become liberal and lax. Without discipline, a child cannot learn between right and wrong, acceptable and unacceptable, and this shows in the child turned adults future behaviour.

There is evidence from the American Humane Association that spanking a child hinders the development of it's empathy and compassion for others, as well as increasing the childs anxiety, fear and aggresive behaviour. Striking a child decreases his or her self-esteem and can cause physical injury. A child submitted to abuse is very likely to become and abuser as he or she accepts violence as a way to handle conflict.