Spanking Child Abuse Essay

Spanking can be defined differently depending on which group an individual is supporting. One group believes it is acceptable to spank in order to discipline, but on the other side are those who believe spanking is a form of abuse because most spanking is done out of anger. In some parts of the world, like the United States, spanking is illegal depends on who is doing the spanking because it is seen as a form of abuse. In my country (Nigeria), we believe in spanking kids by the parent when necessary. Who could believe that spanking could change my life and my academic life? Spanking has helped me reshape my life by making me a better student by forcing me to pay attention in class, to focus on my studies, and even to like mathematics. Being spanked in school changed my opinion of spanking.

Different variations of spanking of course can lead to more serious problems as adults. Something not as serious as Schizophrenia would be like depression, anxiety disorders, and paranoia. Castelloe also states in her article that “some studies suggest a connection between the physical punishment of children and the behavior involved in some criminal assaults.” I have a clip of what has just been reported this month on the 18th in the state of Massachusetts. As parents we want our children to grow up respectful, successful, carefree, we want to set them down the right path so they do not have it as hard as we have.

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.

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.

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?

Spanking has been the way of discipline for many years, but in reality it is child abuse. Spanking, also known as corporal punishment, to me is any kind of negative physical contact to a child with the intention to cause pain as a way of discipline. Anything from a pat on the butt, to the use of a belt or paddle on a child, or a smack on the hand or mouth can be considered spanking. Child abuse is violence, and "violence is an act carried out with the intention, or perceived intention, of causing physical pain or injury to another person" (Straus 7). The intentions of both spanking and violence are to cause pain and the only difference is that violence also covers acts of injury. So, are parents actually teaching their children

Why Spanking Children is Wrong Parents have been spanking their children for hundreds of years, but recently this practice has come into question. The concern is not regarding the effectiveness of spanking but the correctness of spanking. Parents should not be allowed to strike their children. Child abuse is defined as any unnecessary or intentional physical or emotional or sexual mistreatment of children. Spanking is not the only method of child discipline. Spanking is not even the most effective method of child discipline. Numerous studies have made it evident that spanking does have a negative effect on children. Spanking children should be considered child abuse because it teaches children the wrong message about hitting, it does not

Nevertheless spanking isn't abusive; it is a teaching device that parents use. Spanking is not a demonic way of parents defeating their children; they use it to make their children more responsible and thoughtful

While this review of literature on spanking children is limited in finding evidence in supporting spanking, the research available that opposes spanking is rather compelling. The findings from the reviewed articles provide advice to parents, both new and long-time, on how to discipline their children if they want their children to have the best outcomes. The studies that have been reviewed are only a small amount of what has been published regarding the negative impacts that spanking can have on children. Additionally, this research may be a start for a move in society to begin viewing spanking as a negative child-rearing practice. While there is a lot more research that could be reviewed on this topic, high levels of aggression, behavioral problems, and

Spanking has been a controversial topic among many parents. Some believe it is just a form of discipline and is okay, while others believe that this is abuse or violence and it will harm the child in the long run.

To being, one must understand that there can be many definitions for the term spanking. This is a common problem, as many people have their own view on how “extreme” spanking is. Without a proper definition of spanking, readers and listeners may be confused and mislead. This also creates flexibility for those individuals who may not know what is considered to be spanking; abuse; discipline. For example, one may believe paddling is a form of abuse, while others think it is a form of discipline. Most people tend to define

Spanking has become an arguably debatable form of discipline. According to a study at the University of Texas, the more children are spanked, the more likely they are to defy their parents (“Spanking: Pros and Cons”). There is a connection between spanking during the childhood and mental health diagnoses later in life. There are other options of discipling your child than spanking them, especially because all children can take spanking differently. Parents should not spank their child because it showers that being “stronger” is right, demonstrates that older people have a right to hit younger people, and gives the examples that violence solves all problems.

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

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.

The second reason why spanking should not be done to children is the fact that it is a form of child abuse. At the moment, countries are divided as to legalize corporal punishment or create a law saying it is illegal. In the book written by Abela (2007) for the Council of Europe, she notes that “spanking of children less than two years old increases the risk of severe physical injury and the child is unlikely to understand the connection between behavior and punishment.” Most parents tend to go overboard when disciplining their children, especially when they are very angry and have not subdued their anger. This then makes the child their venting medium to get rid of that anger and sometimes, they do not apologize and even forget why they have done the deed. Other parents tend to make this a habit and even if the child did nothing wrong, they would still continue spanking the child. Eventually, the parents may slowly abuse the child through pain and totally make the child’s life a complete hell. As a result, child becomes frail and suffers psychological problems. Some countries, especially social services, use this as grounds to get the child away from the family and file cases of child abuse and physical injury that can lead to jail time if proven guilty. Spanking may also cause scarring and may be with the child