Disipline verses abuse

[ShatteredWings]

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[Hyper]

You're being awfully vague

But there are different children, circumstances & parents.. Though threatening your kid isn't parenting and I wouldn't consider it abuse just failure in parenting untill the threats come true

[nachtspiegel]

Threats have to be watched very carefully because threats can turn into actions very quickly. A parent that threatens to beat their child, especially on front of the child, need to seek help for their anger problems.

Discipline, at most, should be a swat on the ass or removed priveleges, not bruises and welts.

[Avalikia]

I draw the line by comparing the difference between what would have been required to get the child to obey and what is given. For example, if there's a strong-willed child who never listens except for when the parent threatens to spank and means it, then that wouldn't be abuse. If, on the other hand, you have a mostly obediant child who requires the occasional verbal reprimand but the parent starts spanking them, then I'd consider that abuse. Of course, if you have a really, really disobediant child that would require regular beatings to get them to obey, then corporeal punishment is not for that child - but there are many other ways to punish a child so that shouldn't be a problem.

As far as threats that aren't carried out - emotional damage is still damage. If the child really wouldn't obey without it I suppose I wouldn't consider that abusive, but if the child would respond to something less severe then it would be. If the child just brushes off the threat and it doesn't bother them at all then obviously there's no harm done, but if the child takes it seriously or it bothers them then it can become very abusive indeed.

[Sapphire]

For me, it is dependent on what is being threatened. Threats to beat the child up are different from threats to simply smack the child.

[ShatteredWings]

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