Actually, no, they don't. They've been told that children are delicate flowers that will wither and die in the presence of even a mild rebuke. How many times have you heard of a parent getting arrested and charged for giving a misbehaving child a swat on the bottom? Some idiot do-gooder will always be around to call the police, thinking that swat constitutes abuse. I know some parents who are afraid to discipline their kids because of such craziness.