> Both. Wales made corporeal punishment illegal recently. That would be unthinkable in most of the world. In most Asian cultures, children have a lifelong oblig

> Both. Wales made corporeal punishment illegal recently. That would be unthinkable in most of the world. In most Asian cultures, children have a lifelong obligation to their parents. In the US, once you're an adult, you're on your own and it's not uncommon to have limited contact with your parents. Isn’t this the parents rather than the kids? Parents who expect their children to take care of them even in Asia may tend to treat their children better. > We might know more than we used to but we know very little. I suspect the vast majority of these studies have no predictive power. Look up the outcomes of the ACE study, it’s one of the most predictive statistical studies ever created when it comes to many outcomes, including premature death, substance abuse, imprisonment and even bodily health outcomes. It’s extremely important. > And the same is true for me: the fact that my parents were/are wonderful and my father hit me occasionally explains my views here. Studies have shown that hitting children either is neutral or harmful. That it was neutral doesn’t mean on measure it’s not tending towards harmful. The more a child is hit the more developmental problems arise. Nearly any cohort controlling for other factors, striking a child has worse outcomes. There is data to back this up. > But we're in danger of demonizing discipline and reasonable physical punishment. Let’s not conflate the two. A time out is not the same as teaching a child they will be hit if they don’t obey. Parental authority is not infallible. > My experience is that discipline and love aren't opposites, they should coexist and when you don't have one, you're going to have trouble. I agree with this point and am not arguing for no discipline. The context of this thread is being labeled a troubled teen and being forced to go to a “discipline” prison.