most of the children before 21th century were disciplined by "spanking". and not all of them are harmed. Parents are just trying to discipline them and control them. I cannot see anything wrong about hitting the butt of the kids by a belt or a wooden stick. That kind of Spanking i think is tolerable. However, some parents do more than hitting the child's butt. Hitting the child on its head is not a tolerable spank. Everyone of us know that it can bring a damage in the child. Some of parents do that, believe me. hitting a child several times in one period is kind of abusive. For me, Spanking a child is not a violence if you do not exert too much harm into the child. just one Spank then enough. Children will learn their lesson. No more spanking. No hitting in the heads. No hitting in several body parts.
About the Verbal Discipline. I believe that it can cause more damage to the child. Why? child is considered as Tabula Rasa ( empty Sheet ). Children are like a sponge, They are absorbing everything the parents tell them. How can a child grow up to be a good man if its parent keeps on telling him that he is a no good child? The child will absorbed everything we say to them. Sometimes, Children considered what we said about them, as their guide in growing.