Today, if a parent smacks a child mid-tantrum in the supermarket, they are likely to get looks of disapproval from other shoppers. Smacking is not as socially acceptable as it used to be. Recent research shows only 15% of people aged 16-24 view physical discipline as necessary to properly raise children. This compares with 38% of people […] … learn more→
Tag Archives: discipline

Research shows it’s harmful to smack your child, so what should parents do instead?

Just what are ‘zero tolerance’ policies – and are they still common in America’s schools?
When parents and educators discuss school discipline, one of the things that comes up most are “zero tolerance” policies. This term is often misused and misunderstood, according to new research I published recently. Zero tolerance policies are also thought to be widespread. But, my work and a recent report show they are actually less common than frequently thought. Zero […] … learn more→

Educational authority: no to spanking, yes to discipline
The multiplication of acts of violence against teachers on the one hand, and the vote of the Assembly on a bill prohibiting spanking on the other hand, are an acute problem of the educational authority. A re-examination of this notion is necessary. In this respect, Hegel’s teaching texts can be of great help. As Durkheim pointed out , authority is the […] … learn more→
There is no debate about hitting children – it’s just wrong
US sports continue to struggle with the controversies surrounding Ray Rice’s domestic violence case, and the arrest of Slava Voynov on suspicion of domestic violence. But what has not been a matter of debate is where the line is for men hitting women. The media and the public have been nearly uniform in rallying around […] … learn more→
What the head of hiring at Google doesn’t understand about skills
Try as I might, I just can’t seem to let it go. When Laszlo Bock, of Google, tells the columnist Thomas Friedman, of The New York Times, that he would prefer to hire a computer-science student with B grades over an A-plus student who studies English, it doesn’t surprise me. Google is in the business […] … learn more→