Parenting links: Time-outs, MTV's 'Skins', and NJ Supreme Court on slapping

Here's a roundup of some of the most talked about parenting stories around the web:

MTV's teen drama 'Skins': the good, the bad and the truth
Have you heard about the ruckus around MTV's new teen drama 'Skins,' an American adaptation of a UK hit about the sex, drugs and rock n' roll lifestyle of a group of teenagers? It's been called "the most dangerous program that has ever been foisted on your children" by media watchdog Parents Television Council.

There certainly is some extreme behavior amplified by lack of consequences in the show, says Dr. Harold Koplewicz in the Huffington Post, but it "also speaks to the integrity of young people." If you watch it with your kids and discuss the risky behaviors, the discussion may be useful, says Koplewicz.

Time-out: punitive parenting or an effective tool?
A new study by Australia's University of Queensland reviewed dozens of research studies and concluded that the time-out is an effective tactic "if parents can keep their cool when deploying it."

According to the Vancouver Sun article, "Time out can de-escalate contentious parent-child situations, they found, and the more effectively and consistently it's used, the less it's needed."

Is slapping and taking wages from your teen child abuse?
The New Jersey Real-Time News reports, "Slapping a teenager or taking money from her paycheck to pay family bills is hardly admirable, but doesn’t constitute child neglect or abuse, the state Supreme Court ruled."

What do you think?
Has MTV gone way too far with "Skins"?
Are time outs effective for your family?
Should the parents in the New Jersey case have been charged?