To think smacking children ...

[toffeeapplejam]

Started to 'die out' as an acceptable way to parent early this century?

Most people born before 2000 are approaching adulthood now. I used to see children having their legs and bottoms smacked as a child and teenager (born 1982) but now I rarely if ever see this in public (hear lots of verbal abuse though.)

Is it also unreasonable to think the higher the level of education of the parent the less likely they are to smack? (I know there will be exceptions before people say their mum has a PHD and they were smacked daily! I mean in general.)

[KingJoffreyFanciesDarylDixon]

No. That's a batshit crazy theory.

People generally lash out due to utter frustration, not because they don't have a maths GCSE.

[Charlotte3333]

Nope. DH has a friend who is a very well-to-do barrister from a hugely successful family of intellectual powerhouses. I've seen him smack his DCs occasionally and his DW just goes along with it as he's very stressy and quick to lose his shit.

I don't smack mine, not because I have a degree but because I haven't ever needed/wanted to. No idea why other than my kids don't tend to send me into a frustrated rage; I'm calm, they're just children, we rub along ok without the need. DH is the same; I've seen him lose it at DS2 only once when he threw and xbox controller at the back of DS1's head and cut it open, and he didn't smack him then. He did pick him up by his arm and carry him upstairs with a face like Thor's arse and DS2 was too terrified by the silent fury to even play up, he just fell asleep in his bed crying.

[Tequilashotsfor1]

I don't smack mine - I had a very violent mother. All it did was make me afraid of her.

[PeachyPants]

I agree with you OP, there's a wealth of evidence that corporal punishment is inversely correlated with socioeconomic status and so is likely to be with educational attainment too. That may be partly to do with social norms, parental stress and because of a perceived lack of alternative punishment options.