Candycane, child abuse can be yelling at a child as well as spanking one, depending on your point of view. There are are two problems I see off hand: 1. Government should never get involved in a parent's discipline of a child unless it endangers the child, or is disorderly conduct in public. I mean, how do you define abuse? Beating a kid with a baseball bat until they bruise, bleed, or break bones is not discipline, it is abuse, cruel, and never works. However, making the child go get the switch which is to be used to swat them on the back of the legs is discipline (in my opinion), as it makes a child think about what they did wrong as they go, not only meet their punishment, but they must procure the means of said punishment as well. Plus how many times have we been out in public and hear a Parent screaming at their child, as the child does what they please....., just saying. 2. If punishment of a child is not working, the child has no respect for authority of the parent, or adult who is charged with their care. Find out the problem for that lack of respect and fix it, while the child is still impressionable. Otherwise, they will never amount to anything as an adult, and will probably wind up abusing children themselves.