Since the birth of the nation, Americans have fought over the topic of spanking children for discipline. We hesitate for a while, this is normal and we are expected to discipline the children using corporal punishment. Then everything changes and for years, it is no longer acceptable. This has been the subject of much heated debate and will continue as long as we have parents and as long as they raise children. In the long term, we will find out whether spanking has proven to be an asset or a liability, but in the immediate future, it is something America needs to start using again for guidance purposes. We are seeing more violence among teenagers than ever before, juvenile crime rates seem to be increasing, and spanking has fallen out of favor in many circles over the past twenty years. It seems that the more time we go without using spanking as a method of discipline, the more violent our teenagers become. Spanking, when used as a form of discipline and not abuse, is an effective tool. Many Americans over the age of 30 remember being spanked as children. Backslapping, as a form of discipline, was used for everything from lying to disrespecting one's parents (Matrz, 2001). The number of blows and the severity of the blows were generally directly related to the seriousness of the offense. After the era of free love and the Me generation in the 1960s and 1970s, Americans began to reconsider the use of spanking for punishment and moved away from it. However, official courts across the country have repeatedly ruled that spanking is indeed an acceptable form of discipline (Matrz, 2001). State officials and House of Prayer parishioners may not agree on much,...... middle of paper......may be serious, we will continue to process situations similar to those of Columbine. Works Cited Bayfield, Ted (July 1996). Are our efforts to avoid all “violence” creating our very violent society? Flight. 23, Alberta Report / Western Report, July 29, 1996, p. 44. Head, John (April 2001). Spare the cane, spoil the child? Race, region, and gender play a role in support for corporal punishment. The Atlanta Constitution, pp C1. Jones, Elliot (November 2000) idebate.org Martz, Ron (March 2001). Welfare officials recognize the value of spanking. , The Atlanta Constitution Journal, pp C1. Schwarzbeck, Dr. Charles, (February 2001). No one wins when a parent spanks their child. , The Washington Times, pp D2. Straus, co-author (with Denise A. Donnelly) of “Beating the Devil Out of Them: Corporal Punishment in American Children"