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AIBU?

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To ask when/if it's appropriate to smack (historical context)

151 replies

HermioneDanger · 24/02/2015 13:09

I appreciate that viewpoints have changed on this since we were children but I'm trying to process how I was smacked as a child and would appreciate some outside views on it. I don't have children myself so don't know whether I would have smacked them or not (though I hope I'm in the not camp).

My father was quite the disciplinarian when we were young and transgressions of the rules were met with a smacked hand or bum depending on the severity of said transgression. They were harder than taps but weren't beatings, it would be one or two smacks, hard enough to hurt a lot but not bruise, and happened often enough that I can't remember how often, but not so regularly that I would say I was beaten as a child. This continued until my mid teens or so, which is what I struggle with most - making a 15yo hold out their hand or bend over for a smack (hard enough to hurt, so a lot bloody harder than a tap on a toddler) has to be inappropriate at the very least, doesn't it?

So AIBU to ask what you think would have been appropriate and whether you think my father was out of line. And if you do what you'd do about it now?

OP posts:
bobbywash · 24/02/2015 13:17

Always hard to comment if you don't know the time frame for this. In the 50s/60s smacking was much more common. In the 70s less so, and then a decrease to the current day.

You have to look at things with society norms. Whilst we can all look back and say x is wrong and shouldn't happen, it did and a lot of people did it.

If the punishments you received were out of kilter with society and your friends norms then it was probably inappropriate. If it wasn't it was probably still inappropriate but socially acceptable.

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