Spanking teenagers

Well, there's a difference between spanking play among consenting adults and the spanking of children (including at least 13-to-17-year-old teenagers) for disciplinary purposes, which is still a legal parental prerogative in the U.S.A. (Whether it's good parenting strategy or not is a debate that I always try to avoid getting into.)

However, I'd agree that anyone who believes that the spanking of a child (beyond a playful birthday spanking with parental approval) is some sort of "CP scenario" shouldn't be engaging in such activity.

There are still millions of parents and guardians in the U.S.A. who spank their children and don't sexualize the experience at all--in many (probably most) cases it's done with reluctance but also with the belief that it's effective behavior modification that works in the children's long-term best interest.

Whether one agrees with them or not, the vast majority of these parents/guardians are not sadistic nor are they 'power-trippers,' and they don't consider the corporal punishment of their children to be any kind of "play scenario" at all.

To parents/guardians who believe in the disciplinary spanking of children as a child-rearing tool, of course it's a key issue whether or not the discipline is "deserved."

I'd also venture that, even if a 13-to-17-year-old (18 being the age of sexual consent in most of U.S.A.) were fully consenting (no authority relationship involved) to engage in a spanking scenario with an adult, it still should be avoided--just as a sexual relationship with a minor should be avoided by an adult.

All that being stated and reflecting merely my personal perspective, I greatly enjoy the FANTASY of a person of ANY age having his/her bare bottom thoroughly blistered, consensually or nonconsensually, by an enthusiastic spanking female or group of females--she/they being of ANY age(s) so long as she has/they have the capacity to swing a punitive implement effectively... --C.K.

There are many places where people can (and maybe should) debate using corporal punishment on those under the age 18. Parenting boards, political board, ones dealing with general ethics - there's a long list of those places.

One place where it shouldn't be debated is on a fetish board. That's mixing a fetish with minors.

Goodgulf

I strongly agree with the above comment, the Library forum is not the place

A minor correction. Although many, or possibly most, people think that the age of consent is 18 in the USA the actual age of consent is 16 in 32 states, 18 in 11 states and 17 in 7 states. Also there are some exceptions. For example it is 16 in one state but 18 in that state if it is a teacher/pupil relationship. Also it is 14 in one state if the older person is no more than 5 years older than the younger.

I believe it is 16 in the UK.

Yes, but age of consent usually relates specifically to sex. Most courts would not consider spanking sex so the Age of Consent would be irrelevant. The Age of Majority, would probably be a more relevant age, and that is usually 18 in the USA. Age of Majority is the age when one legally becomes an adult in most respects, able to marry without parental consent, make contracts, etc, etc. It also (obviously) corresponds to the termination of parental rights.

Yes, I believe it has more to do with personal ethics than sexual consent, the age for which varies from state to state.

Since spanking under almost all circumstances doesn't legally equate to sex, an adult could engage in a consensual spanking scenario with a thirteen-year-old and not have broken the law, especially if the spankings were over at least somewhat clothed behinds--IMHO that would be highly unethical but probably not illegal.

Eighteen is the age generally used on internet sites, including the Library, that prohibit certain types of stories and/or depictions involving children... --C.K.

A thirteen year old in any state or province does not have the legal standing to enter into an agreement or to give consent to another adult who is not is parent without his parents written permission...I used to work in the gov't dept connected with children and that is the facts

I think spanking/bdsm should only take place between consenting (and I do mean consenting, forced punishment is abuse plain and simple) adults and I don't particularly like reading about it in stories that contain children, especially the ones that contain younger children. Spanking fiction is sexual fiction and should not contain any character participating in those activities under the age of 16, although I have less of a problem with "school" spanking fiction about teenagers provided there is no sexual element to it on the part of the adult (if adult it is) adminstering it as I'm sure any of us who are over 40 remember it being around at school (if infrequently towards the end). I have no problem with anyone of the age of 18 or over participating in these activities of their own free will.

I do know with the stories we are talking about fantasy, and that many of the writers maybe fancy themselves in the position of the child rather than the adult but I still find it makes me uncomfortable. I don't have much problem with it being children (so long as there is no sexual activity) in historical settings as, let's face it, that can be a very accurate representation of what went on in ages past but my own preference is not to read spanking fiction involving children, other than the odd school scenario. Parental discipline stories are a squick factor for me so I tend to avoid them.

All the people I have met in real life and online through the bdsm scene have been at the youngest in their early twenties, an age at which one can hopefully make reasoned choices about sexual preferences and partners. I don't agree with corporal punishment in the home (other than maybe a light slap for very young children, you can't exactly explain things to them at that age easily) for children of any age and frankly the idea of fathers or mothers using "ritual" punishments with implements on their children makes me sick. Those of us who are submissive/masochistic know very well how much some of this stuff can hurt so to do that to a child is horrific. A far better punishment is to deprive the child (even older teenagers if they are at home still - you abide by your parents rules in this situation) of something they really love for a while, a little psychology goes a lot further than a beating. The lack of a sexual motive in domestic punishment makes no difference in my opinion, I should hope that there is no such motive, the possibility that someone could get a kick out of beating their own child (even if they are 18 or over) makes me feel sick.

I recall a debate on a TV programme once about smacking children and someone pointed out that how would you like someone a lot bigger and stronger than you to hit you as a punishment (when its a punishment for, say, hitting a sibling, this becomes positively ironic and sends the message that violence is acceptable from the parent but not from the child, hypocrisy might be a better word for it), often with an inappropriate level of force. Beating children is wrong, and beating is what it is whether you be a consenting adult participant or a helpless child, if you have a problem with that word then you are in the wrong game my friends (to quote Josepine Scott - bsdm fiction writer and devotee).

EDIT - please bear in mind whilst reading this that I am from the UK, age of consent is 16 and we are considered to be adults at age 18 whereas I understand other countries (particularly the US) have different age limits. Oh yeah, and I'm female just in case anyone didn't realise, LOL, I noticed a comment earlier about most replies being from males

Whether you are a spankophile, a religious nutter or an over stressed parent it is wrong to spank your teenager or child. It has nothing whatsoever to do with reading or writing spanking fiction. One is fantasy the other is reality. The world is a hard place, you only have to watch the news to realise that. Children need a warm and loving environment to grow up in and rather than punishing you must talk to them. I found it always works!

Well, the question is "give consent" to what, exactly? I remember as a child occasionally playing games that involved mild spanking, either as a roleplay (my cousin smacking the seat of my pants a couple times with a ruler as she played the "schoolmistress" and I a slightly sarcastic "pupil") or as a penalty for losing ("going through the old mill")--I was somewhat younger than thirteen at the time.

As a young adult, I played athletic games (tennis, football, etc.), card games and board games with underage teenagers and sometimes even preteens--I never played spanking-oriented games with any of them, but if I had would there have been any legal difference had we remained fully clothed?

One could argue that I had at least tacit consent from parents who knew me and trusted me to interact with their minor children, but the same argument could be made had I initiated some sort of play that involved fully-clothed spanking--like the games I occasionally played as a child myself.

I'd never remotely consider doing that (outside of a playful birthday spanking with clearcut parental approval), but if I had would it have been illegal?

Consenting to sexual activity and consenting to playing a game (even one involving fully-clothed spanking), I find it difficult to believe that both are treated the same under the law.

To me, the issue is all about personal ethics rather than legality... --C.K.