May 06, 2021 While some experts believe spanking should not be done as it can interfere with children’s healthy development, others believe that its use as a mild disciplinary tactic can be effective. The Straits Times When a family member’s young son slipped from her hands and tried to make a dash into busy traffic, she caught him just in time – then she slapped him on his bottom. He howled, more from indignation than pain. I asked her why she had smacked him. He needs to understand the danger he’d exposed himself to, she said, so next time he’ll be more careful. This way he would remember, she said.