Thanks for the interesting discussion! In my opinion, children, animals, and adults should not be hit in any way. I now view this as a form of bullying. I grew up thinking that spanking, slapping, whacking with a paddle, and raging were normal behavior. (There was more, but it doesn't fit here) I thought I deserved it. Weirdly, I did not understand why my siblings seemed to also deserve it, and I tried unsuccessfully to protect them. As a young adult, I chose my love interests for the familiar quality of raging while I cried. That was my learned definition of normal family relationships. Of course those relationships failed. It was only when I began to see therapists that I redefined what it meant to be healthy in love and friendship. I believe now that I and my siblings were abused. A hand raised in training uses fear to teach. The line between healthy spanking and abuse is far too thin. That's just my view.