Perception IS Reality

Let me say it again, perception IS reality. If I learned nothing else in all of those college communication courses; I learned that perception is reality. With that being said and hopefully understood, let me dive right into the topic that's got me fired up today.  By now I'm sure most of you have seen it on the news; this disturbing video of a stepfather beating his stepson with a belt. The incident was caught on camera by a neighbor as the stepfather and the young boy were playing catch in their backyard. It would appear from the video that the boy's punishment for not catching the ball was a swift lashing with his stepfather's belt. The boys grandfather says it was for being "mouthy." What has been seen on TV is an abbreviated version of an incident that lasted more than seven minutes. The beating stopped when the neighbor video taping it finally stepped in and said something.

How parents discipline their children can be a polarizing topic. Many come from the school-of-thought that "if it was good enough for me, it's good enough for them." Meaning, for people my age to have been hit with a belt is a common tale of woe.  For folks my parents age, it is even more so. We are under the impression that because we turned out "okay" after having been disciplined by the belt that it is an acceptable form of punishment.  It isn't!

Research on the long-term effects of spanking continue to emerge.  I think as its victims grow older and are forced to come to terms with the damage, we'll learn more and become more aware of the problems, both long-term and short-term, that corporal punishment causes on the human psyche.  An article published back in March talks about a recent study on spanking and its link to "adverse outcomes in children and teens." There have been several studies on the matter as of late, and one need not look further than Google to find a reputable resource on the subject.

I was watching CNN last night.  Host Don Lemon was talking to his guest, comedian Louie Anderson about this hot topic. Anderson, a victim of childhood abuse, had this to say: Abuse is the source of everything that is wrong with the world.  Be it physical, or verbal, or emotional, or some other form of abuse.  Louie Anderson got it right. And when the rest of the world "gets it" we'll be headed in a much better direction.