The Science and Statistics Behind Spanking Suggests that

11-FULLER_FINAL_AFTERPROOF.DOC 2/17/2009 8:50 AM
2009] THE SCIENCE AND STATISTICS BEHIND SPANKING 295
Jami lost the battle for control; she lost control of herself; she lost
control of her temper and her ability to discipline reasonably. 276
Timmy’s posttraumatic stress disorder illustrates the tendency for
mental punishment to become mental abuse. 277 There’s a fine line
between mental abuse and legal, socially approved timeout and other
modes of disciplining children. 278 Despite this, the idea that timeout
increases the risk that a parent will go too far and cross the line to
mental abuse has been largely ignored. 279
This abusive timeout is appalling, but so is the conclusion drawn
from it. Few people really think timeout inherently increases the risk
that a parent will mentally abuse her child. Nevertheless, this story says
timeout leads to mental abuse in exactly the same way that some
researchers have said spanking leads to physical abuse. 280
There is no empirical basis for either argument. 281 But as
advertisers have long been aware, if you repeat a claim frequently
enough, people will eventually believe it. 282 Accordingly, many
researchers commonly label spanking “violence,” and children who have
been spanked “victims.” 283 Because they repeatedly allege that physical
discipline is inherently evil, lawmakers are beginning to believe it. 284
DISORDER xiii (1999). In order to concretely illustrate the scare tactics researchers like Dr. Straus
use, this paragraph applies the facts from Mr. Savini’s story to one of Dr. Straus’ paradigmatic scare
stories. Cf. STRAUS, supra note 33, at 81 (“Ricky LeTourneau ‘was disciplined to death’ by foster
mother Deborah Wolfenden after she lost control of her temper and beat him.”).
276. Cf. STRAUS, supra note 33, at 81 (“[She] lost the battle for control. She lost control of
herself. She lost control over her temper and her ability to discipline reasonably.”).
277. Cf. id. (“Ricky’s death illustrates the tendency for physical discipline to become physical
abuse.”).
278. Cf. id. (“There is a fine line between physical abuse and legal, socially approved spanking
and other modes of disciplining children.”).
279. Cf. id. (“Despite this, the idea that spanking increases the risk that a parent will go too far
and cross the line to physical abuse has been largely ignored.”).
280. See supra notes 275-279 and accompanying text (relating a similar story about physical
abuse from Dr. Straus’ book).
281. See, e.g., supra note 211 and accompanying text.
282. See, e.g., MADSEN PIRIE, HOW TO WIN EVERY ARGUMENT: THE USE AND ABUSE OF
LOGIC 113 (“Advertisers have long been life members of the ad nauseam society. They know that a
specious claim acquires credibility and force if it is repeated often enough. They know the
importance of building up not a rational conviction but a habit of association . . . . [T]o use the
argumentum ad nauseam is easy enough: all you have to do is to repeat yourself.”).
283. See, e.g., U.N., Children and Violence, supra note 5, at 6 (calling spanking, “violence,”
and children who have been spanked, “victimized”).
284. See, e.g., supra note 98 and accompanying text; Part II, supra.