You have selected the following challenge:
Explain why it's not ok to hit a grown-up, but it's ok to hit a child.
Use the form below to respond to the challenge. We'll post your contribution for others to read within a day or two. If you'd like, scroll past the form to read and respond to the comments of others.
Status: Challenge Not Met to Date Response #1: May 15, 2000
Nope, can't be done. It's not okay to hit grown-ups or
children.
---Pete Inconnu
Response #2: May 31, 2000
It's not ok to hit a grown up or a child.
---Virtual Queen
Response #3: June 30, 2000
When you say "hit" in both phrases, you imply that the same
type of "hitting" is going on in both cases. The type of hitting that is
inappropriate for adults is usually something with a lot of force, such as
causing a lasting injury. If you "hit" a kid with that much force, even if you
scale it down, to make it proportional to the size of the child, you would be
hard pressed to find someone to say that it was okay to do that. The kind of
hitting that constitutes corporal punishment is usually only painful enough
that the child has only a memory of it later, not a bruise or a broken nose.
If the hitting of the child is as severe as a lasting injury, it is not deemed
acceptable, but Abuse.
---Amanda A
Response #4: July 3, 2000
Simple psychology. Adults believe in teaching dicipline to a
child. The child may or may not respond to repremands and the threat of being
spanked may make the child not repeat a certain action. If a child hit an
adult it is a matter of authority. Children are traditionally seen as inferior
to adults and are seen as something that can be controlled. Adults want
control over any situation so they decide culturally to have the right to hit a
child but not the other way around.
---Tina
Irregular Jonathan Interjects...
Tina offers half of a solution: it's "ok" for an adult to hit a child because we do not value children in our society. This is an answer that criticizes rather than justifies the act. Still, why isn't it "ok" in the same society for adults to go around hitting other adults?
I thank those who have contributed so far and look forward to future responses.
Response #5: July 14, 2000
Only a very negligent parent would not punish (hit) a child
that ran into a busy street! If you are opposed to punishing children who do something wrong (like pulling their sister's hair) are you also opposed to punishing criminals?
---Bob
Irregular Jonathan Interjects...
Bob, you're confusing punishment in general with physical violence. Get counseling.
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