I'd like one too, Peace. Especially when the law gets involved.

That said, non-"physical" abuse can be as damaging to a child's psychological development (and maybe even physical health) as "beating" if it's extremely cruel.   So can extreme rejection that consists of just withholding attention or affection.

OK, I'm not going to draw a direct parallel between rodent and human behavior (even though some of us are rats), but some research on infant mice found that early stimulation had a positive effect on mental and physical development, whether the stimulation was from mild electric shock, sudden temperature change, or fondling the infant mice.   The lack of stimulation was the most negative condition.   

I don't think it's much of a stretch from common sense to think that a child who is provided a lot of stimulation and contact with caregivers, including an occasional mild spanking, may be better off than one who is deprived of close human contact and kept in a severely restrictive environment.