This Wikipedia article is interesting. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_abuse#Prevalence.
USA and UK ranked lowest among industrial nations with respect to the wellbeing of children. Comments are all a matter of personal experience.
The French, as a culture, condone slapping and hitting their children much more than most other cultures. If we want to talk about one culture versus another, that should be included and sadly, that alone outweighs any of the other positive aspect of French parenting.