[Alf]

Originally Posted by Niamh.

So when you smack a child, is the aim to hurt them or not?

It's to teach them it's wrong, and that when you do wrong there are consequences.

A smacked arse will make a child cry, but it doesn't physically hurt them that much (they'll hurt themselves much more playing with their friends and laugh about it) The reason they cry is because they realise they've done wrong and let down the people who love and care for them, and that makes them think twice about doing it again.