Teaching Children to Behave

UNICEF's Convention on the Rights of the Child states that children should be protected from all forms of physical and mental violence and maltreatment.

Taking this into account, how should parents discipline their children? Extreme physical violence is quite obviously unacceptable, but what about the occasional clip around the ear?

Should parents be allowed to smack their children? Is it an effective way of modifying a child's behaviour? Do punishments like withholding pocket money or 'time-out' exclusion periods work more effectively anyway?

Corporal Punishment in Schools

Corporal Punishment in British State Schools was abolished in 1986 and the ban was extended to private schools in 1998 after a case was upheld in the European Court of Human Rights.

Did you ever get the cane¹ at school? If you were physically punished by your teacher, headmaster or headmistress, did it do any good? Did it change your behaviour or attitude? Or did it do more harm than good?