A spanking incident this week ended in a school administrator's suspension, after she let a parent spank a child in a classroom.
The debate surrounding corporal punishment has been a part of national discussion this month, with some calling it child abuse.
But one local doctor argues that spanking gets a bad rap.
It can be a gentle smack on the hand, or a hit with a belt that leaves welts or bruises. Spanking can be defined in a lot of ways, and that can lead to differences in how parents feel about corporal punishment.
Pediatrician Bose Ravenel has practiced and taught medicine in the Triad for more than 30 years. He has also co-authored a book in support of spanking. He says the point of spanking is not to harm the child.
"It is to get the child's attention in essence," he says. "And to reinforce parental authority, in a very direct, quick, calm manner. And not repeated blows over and over again and all that. It's just a couple of pops."
Ravenel says spanking should be done gently enough so that it doesn't leave bruises or marks. He also says it should be limited to cases where a child's behavior could lead to an injury, such as running out into the road. Or when a child continues to challenge the parent's authority.
But the American Academy of Pediatrics is among many who oppose spanking – describing it as potentially harmful to both parent and child, and labeling it the least effective method of discipline.
And when it comes to school policy, the line is ever firmer. In the case of Piney Grove Elementary, Superintendent Beverly Emory says it's up to parents to decide what to do at home, but at school, there's no tolerance for the practice.
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