Guest Posted May 22, 2006 Share Posted May 22, 2006 Is spanking a child for minor things like talking back (even if it's not extremely hateful) or sneaking food out of the refrigerator considered abuse? I ask this because my dad spanked me and my younger brother for doing these things along with marking on the wall and going inside a neighbor's house after we had been told not to. We couldn't disobey our dad in any way without getting spanked with a big leather belt. He claimed he did it because he loved us but I'm feeling a lot of bitterness towards him. Sadly, my dad has passed away. Am I wrong for resenting him? Link to post Share on other sites
CantCutitOff Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 Guest, LEGALLY, there's a fine line between child abuse and child discipline that's brought up every day in courtrooms across the country. I'm sure there are many people who would respond to your question in many different ways - some would consider it abuse, some would consider it discipline. I don't think there's a "black/white" distinction with those types of situations. My personal opinion is that a belt is harsh & that if you're still feeling resentment, there may have been emotional abuse. REGARDLESS- If you're still feeling bitterness and resentment toward him (which is normal), talking to a counselor may help you organize your thoughts & emotions and learn how to deal with your them. Also, have you talked to your siblings to see whether they're experiencing similar emotions? Maybe you could go as a group... Link to post Share on other sites
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