The Bible teaches that God gives children to parents [Psalm 127], and that parents are responsible for the training of their children [Proverbs 22:6].  The training of children involves love, teaching and discipline.  These three aspects of training in equal balance are the key to parenting.  The Bible teaches the use of the “rod of correction” [Proverbs 22:15] as the part of discipline that will drive foolishness out of the heart of a child.  There is a vast difference between loving discipline which would include spanking a child and child abuse which might include hitting, punching or beating a child in anger.