To anyone supporting corporal punishment:
It is not effective. Those that say it is are at loggerheads with the majority of psychological opinion backed up by numerous studies. In fact, a major and credited study from Straus, Sugarman, and Giles-Sims (1997) found that hitting children in response to antisocial behaviour actually increased the behaviour.
Those who say that spanking is the only option in some situations are not being imaginative enough. There are a great number of other options, most of which are as, and usually more, effective in any situation.
Non-violent child discipline
Studies suggest that it does have long term effects, most of which are damaging. You can’t argue out one side of your mouth that it has the effect of correcting the child’s behaviour, then claim that it has no long term effects. A huge, fairly recent meta-analysis of sixty years worth of corporal punishment studies from Gershoff (2002) found that corporal punishment of children resulted a myriad of negative consequences, including increased delinquent and antisocial behavior, increased risk of child abuse and spousal abuse, increased risk of child aggression and adult aggression, decreased child mental health and decreased adult mental health.
It is a violation of the child’s rights. Striking any other human being would be considered assault, no matter how much the offender argues that it is an effective method of behavioural correction. The child has not broken any law, so his human rights should remain intact.
It is counterproductive to promoting equality and justice. Legalising corporal punishment of children leaves the application of the punishment in the hands of the parents, therefore making it arbitrary and subjective.