Each child is different so they must be disciplined in ways with how they learned best. The system I was raised with was 1-2 warnings and then spanking. Warnings NEVER worked for me. EVER. Spanking was the only thing to keep me in line. Spanking is harmless. There is a difference between spanking to discipline and spanking to injure a child. I was spanked. I lived. I was spanked with hands, leather belts, fly swatters, kudzu vines, switches, spatulas...you name it. When I got to be 16, spanking was stopped and the grounding started to take place. There is a right time for discipline. It is okay to spank. However, using things that leave bruises on your children for more than an hour: that is abuse. It hurts more for the parent to be the discipliner than for the child to be disciplined. I may not be a parent but I have babysat several times. I hate seeing the look on the eyes of children when they know they did something wrong but they need to be taught there are consequences for bad behavior.