It is no longer considered best practice by parents who have other resources and techniques available. That said, in many cultures it is indeed still common to hear of small children being spanked as a form of punishment.
I would be curious why all the other parent techniques were failing in those families and cultures such that they had to resort to physical punishment.
Spanking is the first option in many cultures because it's simple and to the point. "STOP IT (WHACK)". Anything more nuanced or advanced is something a lot of people in a lot of cultures don't have time or intelligence to consider. Life is usually hard in these cultures, and people have got to keep moving because they've got a lot else to worry about that the rest of us may take for granted or have automated/outsourced/figured out, etc. It may not be the best option but it's the clearest and most direct way to get the message across.
I was born in 90s and my parents regularly spanked the s*** out of me for "talking back" to them. I also got grounded from computer time and seeing friends on a regular basis too.
As an adult, I feel like they just took out their frustrations on me and have crap coping skills, but overall were good parents who worked hard to provide a life for us and we are still very close to this day.
I was spanked as a child, and I think it was effective. It wasn't that it actually hurt that much; in fact, my dad never had the heart for anything more than a pat on the behind, but it was something that would snap me out of whatever mayhem I was causing. More than that, it was knowing my parents were angry and disappointed that really gave me reason for pause, but the spankings were what caught my attention, and they would always explain to me why I was in trouble. It actually made me feel, too, that my parents loved me, as they would take the time to reprimand me. Some parents are too lazy to do anything but yell. I think in a lot of instances, yelling can be more damaging than corporal punishment.
I was spanked as a child. I have three children myself but had never considered spanking them (they are older now). It's hard for me to think of a situation where spanking would fit the crime, and if there were, I don't think I could have ever actually done it anyway. I do regret how I'd lose my temper here and there with my oldest child when he was young (resulted in general verbal rage at him). He is definitely more anxious and overly cautious as a younger adult than my other children are.
Never spanked my child. All spanking does is take a child who is in a bad place emotionally and makes them completely boil over. And every time I have seen a parent spank a child, it had absolutely nothing to do with the child's behavior or any rational attempt to discipline the child. It was simply the parent losing control and taking out their anger and frustration on their child through physical violence.
Sure you can. They understand time outs. They understand having toys taken away. They know what behaviors lead to what consequences. It's just as effective as inflicting pain without, you know, all the harm of inflicting pain.
Spanking is the first option in many cultures because it's simple and to the point. "STOP IT (WHACK)". Anything more nuanced or advanced is something a lot of people in a lot of cultures don't have time or intelligence to consider. Life is usually hard in these cultures, and people have got to keep moving because they've got a lot else to worry about that the rest of us may take for granted or have automated/outsourced/figured out, etc. It may not be the best option but it's the clearest and most direct way to get the message across.
And it teaches the kid that you have to hurt someone when they do something you don't want them to do, so then they become adults and get in physical altercations.
A better way is to take away freedoms from them or ground them. Basically like what prison does. If you don't do what you're supposed to do you don't get to have as good of a life.
I see spanking as a good thing if it is used properly as a punishment and not as retribution by the parent. If the parent can't control themselves, they should not be spanking their child. Using the same tool (wooden spoon, paddle, etc.) helps to distinguish spanking in the child's mind as a punishment as opposed to a beating or abuse.
As a child I was not very reasonable. Trying to reason with a child is often folly. However, I did easily understand corporal punishment. Whenever I was spanked I was always told what for.
Disclaimer: I was spanked as a child and believe I turned out okay. I had the advantage of having parents that are really great people. I was never beaten. I don't have any kids yet. Ymmv
A better way is to take away freedoms from them or ground them. Basically like what prison does. If you don't do what you're supposed to do you don't get to have as good of a life.
Because prison works so well? (Read up on prisons. Depriving people of freedoms does not make them better people)
Both my parents used to beat me as a kid. My mom would spontaneously grab a wooden kitchen spoon and wack my butt with it. My dad used to go get a thin branch off of a nearby tree (a "switch") and whip me with it. One of my early memories is blood on my hands after one of these beatings. My parents both changed by the time I was around 10 and didn't beat me or my siblings after that. My dad later apologized to me about that and said it was a great regret.
Not that it was justified but I was a really rambunctious kid and in on the autism spectrum. I could see how overworked and stressed out parents who didn't understand my behavior thought they were showing tough love or something. I don't think it helped much. I did end up learning a few things the hard way on my own. I can see how dealing with a difficult child can be very taxing for people who don't have the resources.
A better way is to take away freedoms from them or ground them. Basically like what prison does. If you don't do what you're supposed to do you don't get to have as good of a life.
Because prison works so well? (Read up on prisons. Depriving people of freedoms does not make them better people)
Prison is for adults, by the time you're an adult you're probably not going to change much. So if you're already a crap person at age 20 you're always going to be a crap person. A kid still has a chance to learn something, and I think they'll learn by getting things taken away from them instead of being physically beaten.
A better way is to take away freedoms from them or ground them. Basically like what prison does. If you don't do what you're supposed to do you don't get to have as good of a life.
Because prison works so well? (Read up on prisons. Depriving people of freedoms does not make them better people)
But you do need something as a punishment. You can't just let kids run wild. Grounding and taking away privileges such as computer or TV time are better ways than hitting a person.
I would like to add that I also don't think hitting a dog is a good way to train a dog. It used to be common with pets, to hit them (or whip them) as part of their training, but all modern breeders and trainers have moved on to more effective and humane techniques.
I know there are some people who still say, "but you can't use reason with a dog" and that is true, yet expert trainers still don't use violence.
I would look at the experts as my role models, not the people who are short on time, frustrated, or not able to think of better ways to do things.