Spanking: How Bad Is It?

One of the major things to do as a parent is disciplining your child. Every parent has a different technique--some spank, others scold, and some just resort to the old-fashioned "time out" punishment.

Over the years, though, spanking has become a very controversial topic because some parents believe it is linked to the possiblity of child abuse. Although the two are completely different, some are afraid that a tap on the mouth to correct a child will eventually progress into violence as the years go on. What do you think, though?

As a child, I was spanked a few times but it never accelerated into a violent situation. My parents liked to scold me more because that's how they were disciplined. I guess it all depends on your parents' methods, eh?

Is it okay to spank a child when he/she misbehaves or would you rather scold your child? How were you disciplined?