Spare the Rod..Spoil the Child? In this section, religion is used to support non-violent discipline of children. The passages were written by clergy and parents. They can be used for discussion groups, homilies and sermons, congregation newsletters, and religious education classes. The material is copyright free but authors ask that they be given appropriate credit. Links that are followed by a can also be download and read in Adobe Acrobat. Just right click on the picture, and select 'Save Target As...' If you need Adobe Acrobat, you can download it for free Policies Adopted by the United Methodist Church General Conference 5/04 At its General Conference in Pittsburgh in April and May, 2004, the United Methodist Church passed two policies calling for an end to corporal punishment in homes, schools and child-care. The United Methodist Church is the second largest Protestant denomination in the United States. Following the policies is an article by the initiator of the resolutions. Title: Corporal Punishment by Parents and Caretakers (41038 CS R9999) Whereas, corporal punishment models aggressive behavior as a solution to conflict, Whereas, some research has associated corporal punishment with increased aggression in children and adults, increased substance abuse, increased risk of crime and violence, low self-esteem, and chronic depression, Whereas it is difficult to imagine Jesus of Nazareth condoning any action that is intended to hurt children physically or psychologically, Whereas, time outs and deprivation of privileges are as effective as corporal punishment in stopping undesirable behavior, Whereas, the effectiveness of corporal punishment decreases with subsequent use and therefore leads caretakers to hit children more severely, Whereas, children must eventually develop their own conscience and self discipline, which are fostered by a home environment of love, respect and trust, Therefore, be it resolved that the United Methodist Church encourages its members to adopt discipline methods that do not include corporal punishment of their children. And be it further resolved that the United Methodist Church encourages congregations to offer opportunities for dialogue and education on effective discipline of children. Title: Corporal Punishment in Schools and Child Care Facilities (41037-CS-R9999) Whereas, schools and child care facilities are the only institutions in America in which striking another person for the purpose of causing physical pain is legal, Whereas, corporal punishment is humiliating and degrading to children and sometimes causes physical injury, Whereas, it is difficult to imagine Jesus of Nazareth condoning any action that is intended to hurt children physically or psychologically, Whereas, corporal punishment sends a message that hitting smaller and weaker people is acceptable, Whereas, corporal punishment is used most often on poor children, minorities, children with disabilities, and boys, Whereas, there are effective alternatives to corporal punishment that teach children to be self disciplined rather than to submit out of fear, Whereas, schools and child care centers should inspire children to enjoy learning and school and child care personnel should be able to encourage positive behavior without hitting children, Therefore, be it resolved that The United Methodist Church calls upon all states to enact laws prohibiting corporal punishment in schools and day and residential child care facilities. HOW WE DID IT... The United Methodist Church's Resolutions Against Corporal Punishment by Rita Swan We began planning the resolutions early in 2003. Years earlier I had read Philip Greven's book, Spare the Child: the Religious Roots of Punishment. Greven quotes extensively from Methodist Church founder, John Wesley, and his mother Susanna. The Wesleys believed corporal punishment of children, even of infants, was essential to break their rebellious wills and save their souls. Greven shows that some fundamentalist spokesmen use exactly the same argument for corporal punishment today and identifies it as part of "the Protestant temperament." The Inquirers Sunday School class and the Church and Society Ministry Team at Grace UMC felt it was important for the Methodist Church to separate itself from those ideas and not provide, even passively, a justification for them. Methodists honor John Wesley as a brilliant evangelist, administrator, and teacher with many good insights on social policy for today, but he also gave Methodists a way to respond to the advance of knowledge. His Wesleyan quadrilateral sets forth four bases for analysis and decision-making: scripture, tradition, experience, and reason. We prepared separate resolutions on corporal punishment in institutions and in families. We called for laws prohibiting corporal punishment in all schools, day cares, and residential child care facilities. Within families, however, we called only for the church to "encourage" parents and guardians to use other methods of discipline than corporal punishment and to offer opportunities for education on discipline. We buttressed the resolutions with points on the disadvantages of corporal punishment and the value of non-violent methods of training children. We pointed out that the purpose of corporal punishment is to cause pain while the purpose of discipline is to teach. We stated that it was "difficult to imagine Jesus of Nazareth condoning any action that is intended to hurt children physically or psychologically." We avoided the issues of whether children have a constitutional right not to be hit and whether they should have the same legal protections as adults against being hit. Frankly, any suggestion of new legal rights for children is a red flag. In our litigious society, it conjures up visions of children suing their parents over being made to wash dishes. Over time, more rights for children will emerge through the courts or through ratification of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child. To make progress in other arenas, however, it is wise, in my judgment, to concentrate on explaining why corporal punishment is ineffective and harmful and why other methods are better. After we submitted our resolutions to General Conference, our church program director promoted them to Iowa delegates going to the conference. There was general agreement that they were reasonable and worthwhile positions for the church to take, and they passed easily. The General Conference convenes every four years and is the only body authorized to make social and political policy for the denomination. The United Methodist Church is the first Christian denomination to take a stand against corporal punishment of children in the United States. It is the nation's second largest Protestant denomination. Twenty-eight states have laws banning corporal punishment in public schools, but only New Jersey bans it in private and parochial schools as well. Many states prohibit corporal punishment in state-licensed day cares and residential institutions for children, but some states allow church-run day care centers, boarding schools, and reformatories to operate without licensure and to hit children. Missouri has virtually no state regulation of church-run child care facilities, and many sadistic punishments have been reported in them. Petitions Presented at United Methodist Church General Conference 2004 Petition Number 41038 Title: Corporal Punishment by Parents and Caretakers (41038 CS R9999) Vote on the Main Motion 5/31/2004 12:27:54 PM Concurrence 892 Votes For 7 Votes Against Whereas, corporal punishment models aggressive behavior as a solution to conflict, Whereas, some research has associated corporal punishment with increased aggression in children and adults, increased substance abuse, increased risk of crime and violence, low self-esteem, and chronic depression, Whereas it is difficult to imagine Jesus of Nazareth condoning any action that is intended to hurt children physically or psychologically, Whereas, time outs and deprivation of privileges are as effective as corporal punishment in stopping undesirable behavior, Whereas, the effectiveness of corporal punishment decreases with subsequent use and therefore leads caretakers to hit children more severely, Whereas, children must eventually develop their own conscience and self discipline, which are fostered by a home environment of love, respect and trust, Therefore, be it resolved that the United Methodist Church encourages its members to adopt discipline methods that do not include corporal punishment of their children. And be it further resolved that the United Methodist Church encourages congregations to offer opportunities for dialogue and education on effective discipline of children. Petition Number 41037 Title: Corporal Punishment in Schools and Child Care Facilities (41037-CS-R9999) Vote on the Main Motion 5/31/2004 12:27:54 PM Concurrence 892 Votes For 7 Votes Against Whereas, schools and child care facilities are the only institutions in America in which striking another person for the purpose of causing physical pain is legal, Whereas, corporal punishment is humiliating and degrading to children and sometimes causes physical injury, Whereas, it is difficult to imagine Jesus of Nazareth condoning any action that is intended to hurt children physically or psychologically, Whereas, corporal punishment sends a message that hitting smaller and weaker people is acceptable, Whereas, corporal punishment is used most often on poor children, minorities, children with disabilities, and boys, Whereas, there are effective alternatives to corporal punishment that teach children to be self disciplined rather than to submit out of fear, Whereas, schools and child care centers should inspire children to enjoy learning and school and child care personnel should be able to encourage positive behavior without hitting children, Therefore, be it resolved that The United Methodist Church calls upon all states to enact laws prohibiting corporal punishment in schools and day and residential child care facilities. Submitted by Rita Swan, Sioux City IA