Persuasive Essay : Corporal Punishment Right For Children?

This article is credible due to several reasons. One of these reasons is that the article is still recent dating back about 5 years ago. Also, the article is written by a professor at the University of Texas who specializes in corporal punishment and and children making the author very credible. Finally, the article is supported by numerous sources and contains more than just three paragraphs.

While effective in the schools, children who were corporally punished had a high tendency to become more aggressive after school Corporal punishment in a school was a teaching method that originated from european countries (5) The result of a cross-culture on 186 cultural groups was that the higher the amount of corporal punishment is used, the child will be more aggressive and prone to interpersonal violence The study also showed that the more frequent corporal punishment was, the more violent the person would be as an adult Over 90% of Canadian parents have admitted to using corporal punishment at least once A reason why corporal punishment is controversial is because the line between punishment and abuse is vague Another reason is because even if the punishment is not abusive it still has bad future effects

Additionally, I can use the quote “Because of the negative consequences of spanking and because it has been demonstrated to be no more effective than other approaches for managing undesired behavior in children. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends doctors encourage and assist parents in developing methods other than spanking to address undesired behavior." This article, in spite of its age, answered many of my prewriting questions and the information contained within it is as valid (if not more so) today than when it was originally

When someone becomes a parent they constantly worry about how their child will turn out, if they’ll raise their child correctly, and some people even obsess with wanting to use the best disciplinary methods on their children. Everyone has their own input, their own view, and their own opinion about how to parent a child correctly. Spanking is a universally debated topic. Many experts go against corporal punishment, but many parents still think that spanking is an effective discipline strategy. Should they do it? Is it effective? What are the consequences and the effects? Throughout my paper I will go over the many reasons as to parents should not spank their children.

By avoiding the use of corporal punishment these methods are much more effective as long as they remain consistent. Respecting a child and managing their growth is necessary, it is how these punishments are effective when implemented in future situations. These corporal punishments often start as exactly that, punishment, but ‘nearly two-thirds of the abusive incidents begin as acts of corporal punishment meant to correct a child's misbehaviour.’ (Gershoff, 2010). Trying to find out why a child is behaving in a certain manner is also very important in determining if a direction change is needed rather than the constant use of abuse. Even more evidence of these actions above show that in analysis of the studies, (Gershoff, 2010) it was found that in 87 percent of the cases corporal punishment the children actually showed considerably less long-term compliance, displaying that it actually is not a viable method to sustaining a child’s

This issue of corporal punishment is a current issue that many people have on their minds. The issue strikes an emotional chord for many whom were or were not punished by spanking during their own childhoods. The issue generally focuses on the effect that spanking or other discipline methods will have on children. I will specifically be exploring the question: is it ever appropriate to spank a child? The cases for and against the spanking of young children are many and varied. But the main issue is the level of appropriateness that the act can reach.

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.

Markham believes that “corporal punishment was linked with . . . increased rates of aggression, delinquency, mental health problems, and problems in relationships with their parents. . . .As adults, they are more likely to hit their spouses.” Markham’s statements, however, can easily be disproven. Markham based her facts on an “analysis of 88 corporal punishment studies over six decades. . . .” While initially these studies may seem trustworthy, it is impossible for them to be believable. Six decades ago, if a child was receiving a punishment, he was told to grab a switch from outside and bring it to his parent so the child could be spanked with it. When that child became a parent a couple decades later, he used the same form of punishment on his children because it worked on him when he was a child and the cycle then repeats. These studies cannot accurately show that spanking in childhood has caused issues in adulthood because throughout generations parents continue to use the same punishment on their children even if the parents did not agree with the punishment when they were

Ponder this; you are a parent with only a seven year old child. Your child continues to perform an act that you told them to stop doing, because they have already done it three times before. You have had enough and decided to discipline your child in a way different from a stern discussion. You decide to spank your child. Would you consider the spanking a form of child discipline, or would you consider it child abuse? Are you expecting your child to learn from this disciplinary action, or are you spanking your child because you enjoy knowing that you are in control and that you quite possibly may be injuring your child?

A recent study shows 70 percent of parents believe it is right to discipline a child through physical means. Most commonly, parents will spank their children but being hit with things like belts or other objects happens as well. Parenting methods haven’t changed much with time and discipline in similar no matter the country. With more studies out to find the most effective method of parenting and discipline it’s coming to attention whether or not physical harm is the best way to teach children. Parents want what is best for their children, so it is important to constantly bring up and question methods commonly accepted in the past. One method that is becoming more controversial is spanking children. Though it is still considered normal to do, it is gaining more traction and more studies are being done to find the problems it causes. Checking on parenting methods can be difficult as everyone is raised differently. It is also difficult to test which forms of punishment lead to certain outcomes. However, there is a trend of negative effects from hitting. Gershoff acknowledges, “several national professional organizations have called on parents to abandon spanking as a child rearing practice and for professionals to recommend disciplinary alternatives to spanking.” Spanking children is a terrible discipline method as it has negative effects.

“Physical punishment of children: Can we continue to accept the status quo?” by Kim Oates is a scholarly source found in the Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health. The author of this journal argues that discipline with physical punishment is not only inefficient, but it also causes problems in the emotional and behavioral development of children. He follows by providing practical forms of disciplining such as: removing privileges, teaching by example, having constant supervision, setting appropriate rules, and being consistent. Kim Oates states that those parents who use physical punishment to discipline their children, likely experienced it during their childhood and are usually unaware of these other methods of discipline. Oates included

In the United States alone there are around 2.3 million inmates incarcerated. Many taxpayers declare that the government should use corporal punishment to get rid of at least half of the prisoners and reduce the risk of having more people behind a jail cell. However, would corporal punishment really decrease the number of inmates in the future? Personally, I believe that corporal punishment wouldn't make a difference in the use of reducing the amount of crime that happens in the United States. If the government were to allow the use of such tortures to those who have allegedly committed crimes, violence would have to be forced in. Violence has been proven to be an unnecessary form of action to achieve goals. When the goal is to reduce crime, offenses that pertain violence, there must be another form or solution to obtain that goal.

The world has changed in many different ways, but there are still things that need to be changed for the better. Corporal punishment is one of those things. All around the world, corporal punishment is affecting children in many ways. It is described as a form of discipline that hurts a child in a way and is used both in homes and schools. It has been going on for years upon years and very few people try to stop it. People believe corporal punishment is good for children, but there have been so many negative outcomes that other people argue against it. Although some people believe that corporal punishment helps improve a child’s behavior, corporal punishment should not be used because it could be used excessively and it is ineffective.

Corporal punishment is often seen as ineffective and as having negative results in children’s development including developing of aggressive behaviors, harming parent-child relationships, and damaging

In the United States alone there are around 2.3 million inmates incarcerated. Many taxpayers declare that the government should use corporal punishment to get rid of at least half of the prisoners and reduce the risk of having more people behind a jail cell. However, would corporal punishment really decrease the number of inmates in the future? Personally, I believe that corporal punishment wouldn't make a difference in the use of reducing the amount of crime that happens in the United States. If the government were to allow the use of such tortures to those who have allegedly committed crimes, violence would have to be forced in. Violence has been proven to be an unnecessary form of action to achieve goals. When the goal is to reduce crime, offenses that pertain violence, there must be another form or solution to obtain that goal.