Eventually, I sincerely hope some of you come to realize that every person is different. As such, different forms of punishment will be required from individual to individual. Blanket statements have never worked and will never work in situations like these. For some kids, a firm spank works better than timeout, but for others, the reverse might be true. The point of punishment is to change the child's behavior through negative reinforcement (discouraging bad behavior). Obviously, this does not mean traumatizing your child by beating them senseless, but it is also a stretch to call spankings "abusive." Punishment must be unenjoyable for it to work.
However, positive reinforcement (encouraging good behavior) is something else that should be considered. It works especially well with young children, and helps promote a good, firm foundation for them. There has to be a balance between the two; too much of the negative incites bad moods, attitudes, and low expectations, whereas too much of the positive will produce a person who expects too much and is unfit for the reality of the world.
