Mamma Mia

Although I'm not Swedish and have never been to Sweden, I'm pretty sure a trip to the local Swedish equivalent to WalMart would be much like one in Belgium. Mostly pleasant.

A couple of weeks ago an Italian politician was arrested while on vacation with his family in Sweden's capital city of Stockholm. For what? Slapping his 12 year-old son.

I've mentioned before, the sick feeling I get when I'm out in public in the States and some "parent" slaps the s#*t out of their child or maybe worse, degrades them verbally. On more than one occasion I've wanted to call 911, but figured I'd be the one arrested.

Well, I wouldn't be arrested in Sweden for calling 911 and perhaps we can learn a thing or two from the Swedish.

While on vacation, Giovanni Colasante, 46, a local politician from Canosa di Puglia in southern Italy was arrested as he and his family were about to enter a Stockholm restaurant. His 12 year-old son refused to enter the restaurant after a dispute about where the family should eat, and according to witnesses, the father attacked the boy holding him by his collar, picking him up by the hair, and slapping him.

Other guests at the restaurant called the police and Mr. Colasante was placed under arrest for breaking Sweden's laws outlawing corporal punishment. The vacation was cut short while he spent the next three days in jail.

Speaking on an Italian morning talkshow, Colasante's attorney said Swedes and Italians obviously have a "different way of looking at things". "For us Italians, a slap can be a way to teach a child a lesson."

I'm guessing that probably wasn't the first slap that 12 year-old boy had received and it apparently hadn't taught him anything up to then about throwing a tantrum in public. Perhaps there's a better way and perhaps you don't start at age 12?

I once worked with a guy who had a similar philosophy as Giovanni - he was still spanking his Jr. High-age child. I suggested that he'd better figure out another method of discipline since he and the boy were about the same size. Did he not think of this a decade earlier?

Turns out, Mr. Colasante went to trial and was found guilty of assault. No jail time, but he was fined 6,600 kronor ($990).

Sweden was the first EU country to introduce a law forbidding corporal punishment back in 1979. Sixteen of the 27 EU countries quickly followed with similar laws.

Legality of corporal punishment in Europe

Legality of school corporal punishment in the United States

Corporal punishment prohibited in schools and the home

Corporal punishment prohibited in schools only

Corporal punishment not prohibited

It surprised me to see Belgium is blue on the EU map so I must presume Belgians don't need a law. Otherwise I can't explain why I've not witnessed even a serious verbal scolding here. Perhaps one day both Belgium and the U.S. will be green.

I'm definitely Swedish on the inside and for all the Giovanni's out there, there is a better way, but it'll require using your head instead of your hand.