Corporal Punishment Essay

Many see spanking as a form of parental rights and that the parent has the right to raise their child the way they consider most appropriate. Those in favor of spanking, also hold there is little evidence that moderate spanking is harmful. Further, many believe that discipline problems among children have recently increased, and partially attribute the boost to the decline of both parental authority and the use of spanking.

It is common knowledge that children learn from what they are taught in school and at home. What is spanking teaching our children? According to L.D. Eron “spanking models aggressive behavior as a solution to conflict and has been associated with increased aggression in preschool and school children.” (Guidance for Effective Discipline, online) The consequences of spanking does not just effect the children, but also the world around them. Expert P. Cohen says that “spanking has been associated with higher rates of physical aggression, substance abuse, increased risk of crime and violence.”(Guidance for Effective Discipline, online) Consequently, the people in today’s society who are not wanted on the streets are being taught to be this was by their own parents. Taking a look at kids who were spanked, as these kids transition into adults they are reported to have more anger. This increases the chance that they will spank their own children and put them at risk for abuse. (Guidance for Effective Discipline, online) Is spanking your child really worth it? Many parents will say “this is the only way to teach them a lesson” but look at the messages the parents are sending their children. Repeatedly spanking your child can cause aggression and turmoil. This will lead to broken child-parent relationships. According to A.M. Graziano in her article Sub-abusive Violence in Child Rearing in Middle-class

Spanking also effects a child emotionally. Think of a child looking up at this huge person hitting them. This could cause the child to feel inferior. In the long run, the child could develop insecurities. Spanking could also teach a child to lie. Why would a child confess to something if they knew that their punishment would be something that will cause them pain? A child's self esteem could be lowered by spanking as well. They may feel that when they are being spanked that the parent is telling them that they are a bad person and this can stay with them throughout their life. "Kids who receive a lot of physical punishment are less spontaneous, more reserved, and afraid to try

Even after years of research, the issue of whether spanking is an adequate discipline strategy or damaging to children remains a controversial topic. According to Kazdin and Benjet (2003) the definition of spanking is “. . . hitting a child with an open hand on the buttocks or extremities with the intent to discipline without leaving a bruise or causing physical harm (p. 100). In addition, according to Maguire-Jack, Gromoske and Berger (2012) only a few studies propose that spanking is an effective form of discipline. On the other hand, there is more evidence to show that spanking is an unsuccessful form of discipline that can led to unwanted consequences (p. 1960). I personally do not take a stance in this topic because I can see valid points from both parties. Although, I believe that the way the punishment is presented to the child is extremely important. For example, I feel that the child should know why he or she is punished and what is expected of them thereafter.

The more a child is spanked between the ages of 3 to 5 the more likely they will become aggressive (Online Psychology). Spanking can cause mental health problems and can have anti-social behavioral issues. Children that get spanked tend to defy their parents and have cognitive difficulties. When parents spank they think it is to help their child now what is right and wrong, but spanking has accidental detrimental outcomes. You don’t have to hurt a child to punish them, in 2014 about 80% of people spanked their kids. If the parent was spanked as a child the parent is more likely to support spanking

     Spanking a child is a controversial issue. On one side of the debate are people who believe spanking is a necessary component of parenting. On the contrary are people who think spanking a child is destructive. Somewhere in the middle are people who believe spanking is legitimate only when used correctly. Part of the reason for the debate is that some parents and experts define spanking differently. To some, spanking means slapping a child on the rear-end, while others believe it is a form of corporal punishment that does not cause injury. By showing how each perspective of spanking supports their claim and defining spanking, one will be able to form an opinion.

Some parents think spanking a child is abuse when the parent hits a child for something he or she has done wrong like talking back to the parents. However, there are many parents who call it discipline. While some parents say it is a form of child abuse when children are spanked. Some caretakers never spank or hit children in their care as a means of discipline. Some parents are unaware of the types of problems they expose their children to if they hit them in order to discipline.

Editors remarked that in, “Spanking Your Children: Good or Bad”, the CED studied how spanking may be effective short term, but there may be consequences later in life. The more children are spanked, the less they are likely to be mannerly, and well- behaved in the future. They continued on by stating, “Spanking does not teach children why their behavior was wrong or what they should do instead; it teaches children that the only reason to behave appropriately is to avoid being punished.” (2017). This research has proven that there is not only a physical negative reaction, but a mental one too.

Again, I believe that my parents used spanking within reasonable bounds and therefore it had several positive effects on me as a child. When I was a child I had learned that if my parents took one of my toys away or timed me out I would eventually be allowed to continue as I was doing, therefore these forms of punishment had become less meaningful to me. Eventually, after several reoccurrences my dad spanked my buttocks! After having been spanked I rarely repeated the same misbehavior. My parents rarely spanked my brothers and I so I had come to

According to Parenting Article by Dr. Phil, “Long-term consequences of spanking can include increased aggressiveness, antisocial behavior, and delinquency.” According to Elizabeth Landau article from CNN, “A new study of more than 2,500 toddlers from low income families found that spanking may have detrimental effects on behavior and mental development.” According to the American Psychological Association, written by Brendan Smith, Many studies show that physical punishment in a child, consist of spanking, lashing and causing pain escalates anti-social behavior, hostility, and mental health problem s for

If a child gets a spanking he will view it as violence to get what he wants but thinks the parents condones violence because he received a spanking. When that is not the case, most children that receives a spanking knows what they did was wrong and they should not do those things again. Spanking is not a form of violence but a form of discipline that helps parents keep their children in line.

The effects of spanking are seen in children being antisocial and more aggressive. As children sees it, spanking is one way to get something that you want, like obedience asked by parents from their children.

Murray Straus, author of Beating the Devil Out of Them, writes, “No one of us can show that anything bad happens if we do not hit children” (Straus, 2000, p.1). The messages that are conveyed to children through spanking are very confusing. The way spanking looks and feels must be confusing to a child when being administered by a parent who is supposed to be an example of what is right and good. Astrid Lindgren, author of

On one side of the debate, claims spanking promotes violence and aggressive behavior which your child will mimicking the same behavior causing the chain of violence to continue to grow. There are some claims that spanking your child can result in depression, low self-esteem, slowing cognitive development and learning. Physical punishment can work momentarily because children are afraid of being spanked, but may not work in the long term. Knowing whether to use negative or positive reinforcement techniques should be left up to the parents. I remember there was a protest dealing with one of the young black man that had been killed by police, and a mother took physical action to her son making him go home, the media and everyone concern applaud

The term corporal punishment means the intentional infliction of pain on the body for purposes of punishment. "Spanking can be defined as the use of physical force aimed at causing children to experience pain but not injury, for the purposes of correction and control of youthful behavior"(http://www.123helpme.com/preview.asp?id=32539). Spanking is a controversial topic and should not be taken lightly.