Bugsy - I agree - a lot of smacking I see in "public" is from parents who seem to have few skills generally - but particularly communication skills. In fact, the wallop is often because they don't know how, or can't be bothered, to stop and communicate with their children. And the children who get hit have not usually been naughty at all - its just their parents want them to "shut up", so give them a thump.
There is also the other type, which is the occasional smack given in very extreme circumstances by a loving parent in the context of the child already knowing what the boundaries are and where the parent has considered a range of options and deems that one appropriate.
Our Mum smacked us and we never doubted she loved us. I certainly ddn't damage us emotionally or physically. She also pinched me hard once, after I had pinched another child, to show me how much it hurts. I was a bit taken aback, but actually totally understood and never pinched my friend again.
I like the idea of parenting skills classes in theory, but just imagine they would be really patronising - as they are generally designed for parents who have ASBOs taken out against them etc. i.e. they are a state inervention for people who have very few life skills, let alone parenting skills.
I think its important to be able to have this debate without falling into the trap of categorising people or judging them.
I know some fantastic caring parents who inflict what I would regard as cruel and Victorian punishments on their kids (much crueler than a smack on the thigh IMO e.g. locking them in their room to cry for two hours). But that doesn't altogether make them "bad" or "lazy" parents. I just can't bear to leave my children to cry. However, I do very occasionally use a smack on the thigh, which I find acceptable. Basic yes, but still acceptable and personally I think that's less cruel than locking a child in their room alone to cry, but there you go.
I think my views are influenced by my Mum's loving smacks (i.e. carried out to guide us in a loving protective relationship) and TBH also influenced by the fact that we have many European friends, who all smack their children a lot more frequenlty than we do, but without suffering from the the guilt trips that the British parents insist on inflicting on each other.
It would be great to have a really good debate about what does and doesn't work. Trouble is, different things work for different people. e.g. DD is very obedient - I have never had to chastise her as she always does what she is told (somewhat worrying actually). DS seems to have selective deafness and I often have to shout to get him to even respond - makes me feel like a complete fishwife
If I saw someone shout at their children the way I shout at DS sometimes, I'd probably think "what a terrible woman - her poor kids"!