Not surprisingly, the President of the United States has an interest in the well-being of American children. There has been considerable recent concern over child abuse and the cultural practice of hitting children as a form of familial discipline (spanking). The President has always had generalized concerns about this form of discipline but does not want to take any action unless it is warranted.

The President has asked you to prepare an analysis of spanking in which you present relevant information and conclude with an argument regarding whether spanking should be legally prohibited as a disciplinary option available to parents. In other words, the President would like to know where is the "fine line" drawn between (spanking) and (abuse).

In effect, the President is asking for your assessment regarding whether spanking ought to be considered a form of deviance, or as an appropriate tool to be used in the socialization of children. In writing your report, make sure it is a minimum of 300 words in length and includes specific material from the course to substantiate your analysis. Please note that this is a formal research report and as such it must be an objective analysis of the positions on both sides of this issue. Please forgo offering a personal opinion on or personal experiences with spanking.