There is a difference between a spank on the bottom and beating a child's skull until he bleeds out his ears.  But that is lost in the hysteria.   Discipline must be in balance with the bad behavior, but also sufficient to get the kid's attention that some behavior is simply unacceptable.  I see a generation of emotional of screwed up snowflakes who  are  impervious to the feelings of others, who were never spanked.  They have no concept of the limits of their own freedoms vis--a-vis the rights of others. Some kids need to be spanked  for their own good.  It is a preventive measure against escalating abuses by the kids themselves.  It tells kids " The line is drawn here".    Sensitive discussion of bad behavior with an 8 year old is a fool's game.