That is quite a leap. When a child misbehaves a lot of parents whack him. Let us just think about it.
If I whack this kid across the head or slap him a few times, which is what parents generally do to discipline their children, and if the child admires me as a parent and believes that I love him but I whack him, spank him or give him a little boot or whack across the head and keep doing that, what kind of symbol does that present to the young child? The person who loves him is hitting him. I would say that is the way a lot of violence begins.
The reality is that if the people children think love them keep hitting them day after day, month after month, year after year, and then say to the children that they should not hit other kids it is a little hollow and hypocritical. Rather than hit people we need to comfort them.
I think I have made my point and I would like to thank my colleague for his intervention.