FOREWORD
Joe M. Sanders Jr MD
Effective disciplining of children has been one of the most perplexing issues of parenting since time immemorial. In order to grow into a responsible, capable adult, a child must learn how to function within his immediate and extended environment, to learn right from wrong and good from bad, to be respected by others, and to be respectful of others. Children learn by following examples set by parents and other authority figures, by testing the standards society imposes upon them, and by simple acts of trial and error. They will inevitably make mistakes along this long and complex journey as they learn to control their impulses and funnel their boundless energy into appropriate channels of activity. A major challenge of parenthood is how best to ensure the lesson is learned. Is this best achieved by a thoughtful discussion or by disciplinary spanking?
The controversial subject of corporal punishment—defined as spanking or some other form of physical discipline—was addressed at an invitational conference in February 1996. Although no definite conclusions were reached, an important series of consensus statements have been developed that should form the basis for further study of this obligatory function of parenting.
As a co-sponsor of this conference, the American Academy of Pediatrics would like to acknowledge the following whose efforts contributed immeasurably to the success of this endeavor:
The Department of Pediatrics at the Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and specifically to Dr Stanford B. Friedman and Dr S. Kenneth Schonberg, who conceived the idea, organized the program, and served as conference co-chairs.
