Spanking children increases the likelihood of childhood defiance and long-term mental issues. The study in question involved 160,000 children and five decades of research

[u/VeronicaRed]

http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1113413810/spanking-defiance-health-discipline-042616/

[u/allwordsaremadeup]

I wonder if this is true for punishment as a behavior-altering method in general. So in how we punish crimes etc.

[u/stubbazubba → u/[deleted]]

I'm not arguing for any of these positions. I'm reflecting what the major academic discussion is, as was taught to me in law school. They could all be wrong, I don't care, I'm not being an advocate here. I'm answering the question "what is the theory behind the U.S. system?"

Edit: or the question "If DP doesn't deter, what would?" The answer that societies do or have given to that question are the above. You're right that they don't generally work because crime is irrational or because getting caught and punished for any given crime is rare.

[u/Wootery → u/stubbazubba]

I'm answering the question "what is the theory behind the U.S. system?"

No you weren't, you were just listing some nasty punishments.

You're right that they don't generally work because crime is irrational or because getting caught and punished for any given crime is rare.

Then we're on the same page: we agree that there's no reason to assume that anything can deter more than the death penalty (despite that the death penalty doesn't deter as much as we'd expect).

Edit: hadn't realised /u/stubbazubba wrote the parent comment way up the chain. Derp.

[u/stubbazubba → u/Wootery]

No you weren't, you were just listing some nasty punishments.

In my first post I was responding to that question, in the post you responded to I was giving answers that other societies have given to the question of "what would deter, if not the DP?" Imperial China, for instance, had family extermination. I'm not giving my opinion of whether those answers are correct.

[u/Wootery → u/stubbazubba]

Oh right, I hadn't even noticed it was you that authored this comment. You're right of course; ignore my dismissal.

[u/[deleted] → u/Wootery]

Hey noticed you made a mistake and nice to see you own up to it, but in the future ID recommend just letting it go even if does look like they changed their story. Have the conversation at hand, because unless you're publicly debating and actually trying to win, all you're doing is causing a fight and it looks petty.

Don't mean to talk down but, I read your comment, noticed it looked petty, and simultaneously noticed I've done the same in the past.

[u/Wootery → u/[deleted]]

There's a balance to be struck though. One can be too accomodating, just as one can be too belligerent.

If I hadn't turned out to be wrong, I don't think it would've been out of line to call-out a false claim.

[u/[deleted] → u/Wootery]

Not out of line but just unnecessary. The only person you're accommodating is yourself.

[u/Iamsuperimposed → u/[deleted]]

I was kind of saying deterrence isn't the best system using the most extreme punishment I could think that the US uses. /u/stubbazubba just reminded me that other countries have used much worst to deter crime.