Using corporal punishment for discipline instills fear but does little to teach a child about why his or her behavior was inappropriate, experts in Maine and across the country say.

The use of corporal punishment on children became part of the national dialogue this week after NFL star Adrian Peterson was indicted Friday by a Texas grand jury on a felony charge of injury to a child. He allegedly used a switch – a thin tree branch – to spank his 4-year-old son, striking him at least 10 times. If found guilty, the Minnesota Vikings’ running back could face two years in prison.

Widely regarded as one of the best, if not the best, at his position in the league, the 6-foot-1, 217-pound Peterson admits to having used the switch to discipline his son, saying it was something that his father used on him while he was growing up in Texas.

Peterson has defended his actions, saying that he did it out of love for his son. In a statement posted on the Vikings’ website Monday, Peterson said he used the switch to teach his son “right from wrong,” but he also apologized for the harm he caused his son and said he will learn from his mistakes and try to become a better parent.

“I am not a perfect son. I am not a perfect husband. I am not a perfect parent, but I am, without a doubt, not a child abuser,” Peterson said. “I am someone that disciplined his child and did not intend to cause him any injury. No one can understand the hurt that I feel for my son.”

Last week, the Vikings reacted to the indictment by deactivating Peterson before their game Sunday with the New England Patriots. But on Monday, Vikings owners Zygi and Mark Wilf reinstated Peterson, announcing that he would practice with the team this week and play in their next game on Sunday.

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“To be clear, we take very seriously any matter that involves the welfare of a child. At this time, however, we believe this is a matter of due process and we should allow the legal system to proceed,” the Wilfs said in a written statement.

Julia Colpitts, executive director of the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence, said there is no justification for anyone – especially a physically imposing NFL player – to use force on a young child, violence that she said most likely left Peterson’s son terrified and bruised.

“There is strong evidence for the link between domestic violence and child abuse. When one exists, you should always ask if the other does as well,” Colpitts said. “The image of a 6-foot-tall athlete towering over a 4-year-old child with a switch brings to mind intimidation, coercion and terror, not discipline.”

Asked whether corporal punishment is permitted under state law, Maine Department of Health and Human Services spokesman John A. Martins referenced the state statute governing child welfare, saying it addresses the issue of what constitutes child abuse.

Title 22, Chapter 1071 states that abuse or neglect is defined as causing “serious injury” or impairment to a child. Maine law prohibits the use of corporal punishment by a school employee to discipline a student.

Colpitts, who is familiar with the state statute, says that definition leaves what constitutes a reportable injury to a child up to the discretion of DHHS.

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Colpitts said most national experts consider all forms of corporal punishment as harmful to children, though other groups such as the nationally recognized Family Talk organization take a different stance.

Dr. James Dobson, Family Talk’s founder and president, was unavailable this week, according to a spokesman, but a blog that Dobson posted on his website says that corporal punishment has its place. Family Talk’s website says its mission is to preserve and promote the institution of the family and the biblical principles on which it is based, and to seek to introduce as many people as possible to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

“Corporal punishment, when used lovingly and properly, is beneficial to a child because it is in harmony with nature itself,” Dobson wrote.

He explains that there is nothing wrong when a parent “administers a reasonable spanking in response to a willful disobedience.” It is a method that can be used to teach children about the risks of engaging in a dangerous behavior such as touching a hot stove or pulling a dog’s tail, he said.

“In fact, children who have experienced corporal punishment from loving parents do not have trouble understanding its meaning,” Dobson writes. “A boy or girl who knows that love abounds at home will not resent a well-deserved spanking. One who is unloved or ignored will hate any form of discipline.”

But Andrew Grogan-Kaylor, an associate professor of social work at the University of Michigan who has done research on parenting behaviors such as the use of physical force, remains opposed to all forms of corporal punishment.

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“The research is so clear-cut that physical punishment is not a good way to discipline a child or to change their behavior,” Grogan-Kaylor said. “It just doesn’t get the desired consequences.”

He said using force to discipline a child can have long-lasting negative effects, such as leaving a child depressed, anxious or overly aggressive.

Anne Bulger, a registered nurse and a licensed marriage and family therapist in Portland, said parental discipline and the forms it can take are topics that often come up in her talks with families. She advises parents whose child may be acting out to not respond with a “knee-jerk” reaction such as resorting to spanking.

“We need to keep in mind that children are absolutely dependent on us for their safety. Physically harming a child doesn’t help them,” Bulger said.

Julie Sullivan, acting director of Portland’s Health and Human Services Department, also oversees the city’s affiliation with Portland Defending Childhood, one of eight federally funded programs in the country whose mission is to reduce children’s exposure to violence.

“(Spanking) is just not effective,” Sullivan said. “If you are using corporal punishment to discipline your child, then you are not using other strategies.”

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Those strategies might involve revoking a child’s privileges or giving them a timeout.

“A child can feel the consequences of their negative behavior without physical punishment being involved,” she said. “It can be pretty effective. You want to earn a child’s respect. Using a switch only instills fear.”

Dennis Hoey can be contacted at 791-6365 or at:

dhoey@pressherald.com


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