Strauss emphasized his interpretation by saying, "Corporal punishment... was associated with an increased probability of a child assaulting the parent a year and a half later. Thus, while it is true that corporal punishment teaches the child a lesson, it is certainly not the lesson intended by the parents." (Strauss, 2001). The assumption that corporal punishment "taught" the children to assault their parents may not have been valid either. Perhaps these children were already prone to such behavior, and the parents used corporal punishment in an failed attempt to turn the child's behavior around. Another study cited by Strauss correlated corporal punishment with dating violence later, while fourth study used children of mothers seen hitting their children during interviews (Strauss, 2001). Once again the important issues were blurred. Hitting and spanking are not the same thing.

One of the criticisms of corporal punishment is that it "is not used merely...
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