My parents used to hit me as a child, but did that mean they were bad parents? I got smacked across the face and all over my body.

I do not believe a child ever deserves to be hit across the face and all over the body as you say. Now I do not see anything wrong with a swat on the bottom with your hand. I do not believe in using a belt, shoe, paddle, flyswatter or any other weapon. It a child can be disciplined without physical punishment it is best. discipline comes from discipleship, which means to teach. What you teach a child when you hit when you are upset with them, is to hit when they are upset with someone. Saying your parents were bad, it is hard to say, I was not there? Are you mentally/emotionally scarred? Physically scarred? If you are I would say YES. If YES is the answer, get counseling and do not pass on the abuse. If not, then I would say not really bad but not very, they were still technically abusive, you are fortunate they did not hit hard and they were misinformed about how to discipline a child in the correct way. I do pray you are ok now.

You already know the answer. What is the intention of this post?

  The dictionary discribes discipline as:training to act in accordance with rules;activity, exercise, or a regimen that develops or improves a skill; punishment inflicted by way of correction and training.... keep reading →

I feel deeply for what has happened in your life and its impact, its just an outcome of lack of education, inability to control temper. A child must be protected against all these things by all of us as an individual or society.

Looking at such parents as an individual, we find that they are not able to overcome some problem in there life, a problem which causes so much frustration. Otherwise, I don't think any individual will like to hit a child.

Such instances are not good for any society and must be condemned.

I do think they were bad parents as their are other variety of ways to discline childrens although they choose something that leave deep bad impression on you mentally and physically. you still love them as you are confused about whether they were good or bad parents. this is case of child abusing and good people dont abuse children so i know its hard for you but you have to accept they were bad parents+bad persons but it aint your fault so you need to worry and forget what happened with you and try to be a good child and better person unlike your parents.

Terror used to control those who are weaker than you such as: hitting, threatening, whipping, burning, is a form of abuse. A rational person with a decent education and proper upbringing usually would know better than to abuse their child by using terror tactics as if they were prisoners of war.

Children who experience this type of abuse need years of counseling because they grow up damaged. Everyone needs a safe place to grow. Look at the concentration camps and the children living in similar situations with daily terror. Children believe that there is something wrong with them.

Yes you were abused. Your parents needed help to control their temper. Abuse to others weaker and smaller show brut ignorance [lack of education], lack of the capacity to love and no parenting skill understanding. Parenting skills education ought to be required!

If you are asking this question, you probably already know the answer. Bad parents probably....abusive parents, definitely.

My mom used belts, and lilac switches-and other methods.

My dad? His fist.

I disagree with such tactics, but it sure did teach you there were immediate negative consequences for your actions.

My parents (especially my father) would sometimes hit me as a child.  It is never a good feeling is it?  I would feel awful and its not just the physical pain of it - emotionally too, you feel so down and... keep reading →

 Sometimes parents do things, perhaps because of alcohol or perhaps a bad temper. Either way, that should have been treated through a professional, rather than hitting a child. Child abuse is a growing... keep reading →