Spanking
There is no solid evidence for or against
Thank you for the comments, those of you who have been filling out the comment box at the end. Your comments enlighten readers and help fix bugs in the survey code.
The only way to get as close to solid evidence for or against spanking is to look at ourselves en-mass. Please answer the following questions honestly, hopefully this will help us all understand ourselves and whether spanking our children is harmful in the long-run or helpful. Your answers are kept anonymous, only statistical data is kept and added to the database.
At the end of the survey there will be a box for you to submit any comments, suggestions or even your opinion on the topic at hand. Please keep these comments anonymous.
I update this manually, whenever I notice a few more people have filled out the survey. This survey started March 29 2011, so please check back daily if interested :)
Please contribute to this survey by quickly filling it out!
Fill it out HERE.
1.
Were you spanked as a child?
| Yes |
   87.6% |
(99) |
| No |
12.4% |
(14) |
| TOTAL |
100.0% |
113 (113) |
|
2.
If you were spanked as a child, please select below what you were spanked with (over the span of your childhood), select all that apply.
| Open hand |
82.3% |
(93) |
| Belt |
38.1% |
(43) |
| Wooden spoon, paddle or switch(branch) |
34.5% |
(39) |
| Other |
22.1% |
(25) |
| I was not spanked |
13.3% |
(15) |
|
3.
Were you beaten as a child (as opposed to spanking on the thigh/rear). By beaten, I mean degrading punishment with closed fist or non-conventional spanking tool, or any other physical attack on any part of the body that could not be classified as spanking. (Physical abuse, in short)
| Yes |
15.9% |
(18) |
| No |
84.1% |
(95) |
| TOTAL |
100.0% |
113 (113) |
|
4.
Were you sexually abused as a child? (Please remember that this is 100% anonymous, only statistical data is public, answering honestly gives us all a better idea on how to shape future generations)
| Yes |
14.2% |
(16) |
| No |
85.8% |
(97) |
| TOTAL |
100.0% |
113 (113) |
|
5.
Were you verbally abused as a child? By verbal abuse, I mean actual degrading verbal attacks meant to embarass or make you feel less than human. (By parent/guardian)
| No |
59.3% |
(67) |
| Yes |
20.4% |
(23) |
| Occasionally |
20.4% |
(23) |
| TOTAL |
100.0% |
113 (113) |
|
6.
Did you recieve non-physical forms of punishment? If so, check all that apply.
| None, all punishment was physical |
4.4% |
(5) |
| Sent to bedroom/solitary area to reflect |
85.0% |
(96) |
| Time-out for set amount of time (60 seconds in the corner, etc) |
40.7% |
(46) |
| Groundings |
75.2% |
(85) |
| Items/activities taken away (Temporary loss of TV/games/team sports/etc) |
72.6% |
(82) |
| Other |
19.5% |
(22) |
|
7.
Were both parents present throughout your childhood? (Feel free to answer Yes regardless of biological connection, if required) Check all that apply
| Yes, one solid family always |
58.4% |
(66) |
| No, mother left |
3.5% |
(4) |
| No, mother passed away or forced out of your life somehow |
0.9% |
(1) |
| No, father left |
9.7% |
(11) |
| No, father passed away or forced out of your life somehow |
8.8% |
(10) |
| No, both parents left (Adopted?) |
0.9% |
(1) |
| No, both parents passed away or forced out of your life somehow |
0.9% |
(1) |
| No, father left, but was still a constant presence in my life |
16.8% |
(19) |
| No, mother left but was a constant presence in my life |
2.7% |
(3) |
| No, both left but were a constant presence in my life |
1.8% |
(2) |
|
8.
If you had step-parents during your childhood, was it one or two step-parents for the whole duration, or more? Please select the amount of step-parents you recall living with you as a child.
| 1 |
22.1% |
(25) |
| 2 |
8.0% |
(9) |
| 3 |
1.8% |
(2) |
| 4 |
1.8% |
(2) |
| 5 |
0.9% |
(1) |
| More than 5 |
|
(0) |
| I had no step-parents |
65.5% |
(74) |
| TOTAL |
100.0% |
113 (113) |
|
9.
Do you feel that the majority of your punishments as a child were justified?
| Yes |
69.9% |
(79) |
| No |
30.1% |
(34) |
| TOTAL |
100.0% |
113 (113) |
|
10.
Were you given an allowance (monetary) for the majority of your childhood? If so, how much per month (Guess if needed, do the math if given weekly/etc)
| None was given |
34.5% |
(39) |
| Could not afford an allowance |
18.6% |
(21) |
| 10 cents - 1 dollar |
5.3% |
(6) |
| 1 dollar - 5 dollars |
12.4% |
(14) |
| 5 dollars - 20 dollars |
23.0% |
(26) |
| 20 dollars - 50 dollars |
5.3% |
(6) |
| 50 dollars or more |
0.9% |
(1) |
| TOTAL |
100.0% |
113 (113) |
|
11.
What were your parents professions? Please select one for each parent, select as closely as you can, I will keep options very general.
| No formal training, unemployed |
8.8% |
(10) |
| No formal training, was always starting a new job |
8.0% |
(9) |
| General Labour (Construction labourer, hotel housekeeping, etc) |
19.5% |
(22) |
| Trades (Carpentry, electrical, plumbing, constant demand work) |
35.4% |
(40) |
| Blue collar (basic office worker, administration, reception, etc) |
41.6% |
(47) |
| Highly trained professional (Lawyer, doctor, etc) |
16.8% |
(19) |
| Other high income, money was never a worry |
14.2% |
(16) |
| Other low income, lived in/near poverty, payday to payday usually |
5.3% |
(6) |
|
12.
Did your family own your home, or rent? Large, average or small?
| Owned, small, 1 or 2 bedroom |
6.2% |
(7) |
| Rented, small, 1 or 2 bedroom |
8.0% |
(9) |
| Owned, medium, 2 or 3 bedroom |
54.0% |
(61) |
| Rented, medium, 2 or 3 bedroom |
17.7% |
(20) |
| Owned, large, 5 or more bedrooms |
16.8% |
(19) |
| Rented, large, 5 or more bedrooms |
2.7% |
(3) |
| We were never in the same place for very long |
7.1% |
(8) |
|
13.
Were you given everything you needed? Clothes, food, education, etc, within reason of the family income?
| Yes |
91.2% |
(103) |
| No |
8.8% |
(10) |
| TOTAL |
100.0% |
113 (113) |
|
14.
When were you born? (19xx's)
| 30's |
|
(0) |
| 40's |
0.9% |
(1) |
| 50's |
4.4% |
(5) |
| 60's |
8.8% |
(10) |
| 70's |
27.4% |
(31) |
| 80's |
35.4% |
(40) |
| 90's |
23.0% |
(26) |
| TOTAL |
100.0% |
113 (113) |
|
15.
If you were spanked, looking back now, do you believe you deserved the punishments?
| Yes |
31.0% |
(35) |
| No |
8.0% |
(9) |
| Usually |
35.4% |
(40) |
| Rarely |
12.4% |
(14) |
| Was not spanked |
13.3% |
(15) |
| TOTAL |
100.0% |
113 (113) |
|
16.
If you were beaten as a child, looking back now, do you believe you deserved the punishments?
| Yes |
0.9% |
(1) |
| No |
15.9% |
(18) |
| Usually |
|
(0) |
| Rarely |
3.5% |
(4) |
| Was not beaten |
79.6% |
(90) |
| TOTAL |
100.0% |
113 (113) |
|
17.
If you were spanked, do you believe it made you a better person in adulthood?
| Yes |
38.9% |
(44) |
| No |
15.0% |
(17) |
| I do not think it had an effect on who I currently am |
32.7% |
(37) |
| I was not spanked |
13.3% |
(15) |
| TOTAL |
100.0% |
113 (113) |
|
18.
Whether you were spanked or not, were you a "brat"? By brat, I mean throwing fits when not getting your way, generally acting "spoiled". Remember this is anonymous, please answer honestly.
| Yes. I was also spanked as a child |
20.4% |
(23) |
| Yes. And I was not spanked as a child |
1.8% |
(2) |
| No. I was also spanked as a child |
66.4% |
(75) |
| No. And I was not spanked as a child |
11.5% |
(13) |
| TOTAL |
100.0% |
113 (113) |
|
19.
Please answer the following question only if you were spanked as a child.
How would you describe your work ethic? (select last answer if you were not spanked as a child, a question for you will be next)
| Reliable, worked hard. |
72.6% |
(82) |
| Average, new job often (yearly, for example) |
10.6% |
(12) |
| Poor, I rarely have a job, and rarely worked when I did have a job |
2.7% |
(3) |
| Skip Question |
14.2% |
(16) |
| TOTAL |
100.0% |
113 (113) |
|
20.
Please answer the following question only if you were not spanked as a child.
How would you describe your work ethic? (select last answer if you were spanked as a child, because you (should have) answered the previous question)
| Reliable, hard worker |
14.2% |
(16) |
| Average, new job often (Yearly for example) |
2.7% |
(3) |
| Poor, rarely have a job and rarely work when I do |
|
(0) |
| Skip Question |
83.2% |
(94) |
| TOTAL |
100.0% |
113 (113) |
|
21.
If you have children, do you spank them? (leave blank if you have no children)
| Yes |
44.2% |
(50) |
| No |
26.5% |
(30) |
| TOTAL |
70.8% |
80 (113) |
|
22.
Please add any comments, suggestions or opinions.
| # | Response |
|---|
| 1 | As a last resort punishment, I believe it is ok when it is done the hand and a clear mind. you cannot be angry when u spank and always explain why the punishment is happening |
|---|
| 1 | I believe that the abuse I experienced as a child has added to who I am today. Do I believe it has made me a better person... Perhaps depends on how you look at it. I have been able to help many people through my own life experiences. I have a small son of my own today and I would never want him to feel as I did as a child. Children are smarter than we give them credit. If we learn to listen to our children and explain they can learn. My hopes for my son are simple I would rather him listen to me because he respects me not because he fears me. Hold you children often and tell them that you love them! |
|---|
| 1 | i belive i was spanked within reason it only happened a few times if i was really bad and made a point. i was a good kid |
|---|
| 1 | I clicked 21 too quickly.
I do not have children. The answer should be blank. Unless of course you allow for the fact that when I do have children, I will spank them. |
|---|
| 1 | I only was spanked if I put myself in danger, ie running across the parking lot or something. |
|---|
| 1 | I rarely spanked my kids. I am not against it but consider it a last resort. |
|---|
| 1 | I said it made me a better person, because I looked back on how I was treated, spanked and punished, and made up my own mind to not create the kind of pain and misery I had suffered. I in no way expect to be a perfect parent, and I have used corporal punishment sparingly. I have found that having solid reasons and living the way I expect my children to live has had a greater impact on them, rather than the "do as I say not as I do" approach my parents had. |
|---|
| 1 | Interesting study. Spanking, like anything can get out of hand. Moderation in all things. |
|---|
| 1 | it works |
|---|
| 1 | Sexual abuse was not familial. |
|---|
| 1 | There is a fear in spanking a child today. Many people look at it as abuse. |
|---|
| 1 | To #17. I had years of therapy to get over the anger I had inside. Getting over that is what made the better person. That and understanding my Dad did only what he knew, and what was done to him. |
|---|
| 1 | You should include a question regarding frequency of spanking. While I was spanked, it was a rare punishment only for serious transgressions. |
|---|
|
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