. When it comes to a child, abuse is something that cannot be taken lightly. If a child was drowsy, the overlooker touches the child on the shoulder and says, Come here. Just to explain; in my family we werent read these stories as a warning. Children today might find this hard to believe, but for much of the 20th century, it was relatively common for young children to walk home by themselves. While spanking did serve to stop the child's problem behavior momentarily, modern-day research shows parents that it is not an appropriate method.