This article makes a case for discriminating appropriate from inappropriate corporal punishment utilizing empirical research and the larger scriptural context of the rod passages in Proverbs. Three lines of research have indicated that some spanking is beneficial in certain contexts: the treatment of autistic children, the behavioral training of young children by parents, and the reduction of recurrent misbehavior in toddlers. Although the use of corporal punishment should be reduced, spanking as a backup for time-out and reasoning appears to be beneficial for children from 2 to 6 years of age.
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