Therefore, he has the greatest amount of responsibility. Although we have stated above that administering physical discipline is Halachically permitted for a parent or even a teacher, as an educator I would like to point out that in today's educational climate it is extremely rare for a situation to arise that would benefit from such discipline. Invariably administering physical discipline backfires, and there is no benefit at all. Even there, extreme care must be taken not to hit out of anger, but only the amount necessary for the benefit of the child. As I once heard from one of my teachers, the difference between discipline and child abuse is that discipline is administered for the benefit of the child, to educate him.
Child abuse is when the parent or caretaker is lashing out to relieve their own pent-up frustration.
165, Halachos 1 and 13. This class is translated and moderated by Rabbi Aaron Tendler of Yeshivas Ner Yisroel in Baltimore. Rabbi Tendler accepts full responsibility for the accuracy of the translation and will be happy to fax originals of the articles in Hebrew to anyone interested. If you do not see a subscription form to the left of the screen, access the Advanced Learning Network to subscribe to Business-Halacha.