r/AITAH • u/HopefullyIntentional • 4d ago

[ Removed by Reddit ] TW Abuse

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]

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u/NervousAd7170 4d ago

Are they trying to raise a psychopath? I kinda agree that you shouldn't have slapped him although a good spanking could set him straight. These people nowadays saying "spanking is bad" don't understand that they are raising entitled bullies that will never learn. But you were defending yourself, even a 9 year old can have enough strength to break your nose if he threw a basketball at your face from that distance. IDK maybe he will learn something about not putting his hands on someone else because there are consequences. The parents should just be glad it wasn't a stranger, it could have gone a lot worse.

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u/slaughtbot 4d ago

Research is not in favor of the efficacy of spanking. It has minor, short-term effects for reducing the behavior in that moment; however, it tends to lose its efficacy long-term meaning you have to hit harder and harder. Additionally, research suggests that children who receive corporal punishment are more likely to be aggressive and defiant as adolescents and young adults.

That being said, punishment does have to happen. Just in a different way than spanking.

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u/PurplePenguinCat 4d ago

But this wasn't corporal punishment. It was a fight or flight reflex to OP being in danger. She couldn't flee because her nephew had her trapped on the ground. The only thing she had to protect herself from harm was to fight.

I don't agree with corporal punishment. I've done the research. I wrote multiple papers on it to get my Bachelor's and Master's degrees. This wasn't punishment. It was protection.

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u/slaughtbot 4d ago

I wasn't responding to the situation at hand. I was only speaking to the comment directly above mine that I was responding to that eluded to the "spanking is bad" attitude causing greater rates of bullying.

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u/PurplePenguinCat 4d ago

Fair enough.

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u/Dependent_Buy_4302 4d ago

Is it a reflex when you give a warning and then take the time to count down from 5? I thought reflexes were near instant reactions.

Situation is pretty fucked up though and they need to figure out how to get this kid to regulate himself. He's old enough that he should be able to unless there is some disorder OP is purposely leaving out.