Madam, - I wonder what has happened in the last 10 or so years that has made the spanking of children so detrimental to their health. Are children that much more vulnerable and weak that to spank them for misbehaviour constitutes abuse? At 25 I'm no old fogey, and I can certainly remember getting a clip around the ear for being naughty. But I can also remember not getting in trouble for the same thing twice.
Spanking children has worked for generations and the populace has produced some very well balanced and rounded individuals. If someone wants to abuse their child, outlawing spanking is not going to stop them; it will just make them more secretive. All the ban on spanking will do is cut off an avenue, and most likely the last avenue, of discipline for parents. - Is mise le meas,
ÁODH Ó CURRÁIN, Middle Mountjoy Street, Dublin 7.