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Fair point.
I have mixed feelings about this sort of thing. I am totally against smacking children (over here 'spanking' refers solely to the kind of over the knee type thing - a slap on the leg would be called smacking rather than spanking). I think it's entirely counterproductive - and can (emphasis on can) cause psychological damage - at the very least I think it's a dangerous lesson for children to learn: that to be in authority (however loving) or power over another person - particularly a smaller person - gives rights of violence.
That said - for most kids, I suspect that an occasional smack during their lives won't warp them as long as they are confident in their parent's love and the smack doesn't actually hurt all that much (I don't think children should ever be made to truly fear their parents - and if i had kids I'd hate to think they associated me in any way with the inflicting of pain). Certainly, I think that for most families where there is some minor physical chastisement, the damage caused by state or judicial intervention would most likely be far more serious and longlasting.
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