Spanking: Parents Must Decide

The issue of allowing parents to spank their children is a controversial topic. Spanking a child is not against the law, but parents who use this method of discipline are sometimes accused of child abuse. On one side of the argument are parents who spank their children. On the other side are people who think children should not be spanked. Spanking is widely misinterpreted around the world because some believe spanking is abuse while others believe spanking is a form of discipline. The point of spanking a child is to correct the child’s behavior after they do something bad, not to physically harm the child. Children must learn from their mistakes and being spanked is a good way to learn. Parents should be allowed to spank children because it is an effective way to teach children right from wrong, learn authority and learn proper behavior.

Most parents have debates in whether "to spank or not spank' when it comes to their children discipline. However, the first and the most common response of many parents are to spank, then probable trouble back in their mind and ask themselves, did my response was okay? Many parents do not even bother to stop and think through their actions. Commonly corporal punishment comes out of hands; it is not disciplined anymore it becomes abuse. All parents have their tradition of discipline and probably believe is the correct one, because they were taught that way, some are okay, but others are “NOT” correct. Although some of the parents blame their own child, themselves or whatever is happening around them. The parents need to discipline their child in a way that is not

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.

Have you ever been spanked as a kid and felt angry towards your parents? Did you feel they just hated you? Spanking is a form of corporal punishment which is a punishment intended to cause pain in many different ways. Corporal punishment started in slavery and led to schools and homes. Although many states have banned corporal punishment it is still allowed in 19 out of 50 states. Many adults will agree children just need a ‘good ol’e spanking’ and others will argue that it is a negative way to parent and causes more problems. Spanking children is not a proper way of parenting because it gives a negative effect on children.

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 main reason that parents use spanking as a discipline technique is because it is what they received when they were children. However, in many cases spanking has nothing to do with helping the child. It is used as a quick solution to stop negative behavior with no real regard for the long-term outcome. Parents often spank their children because they themselves are angry. These parents simply cannot handle a situation and take it out on their child. Spanking might be more accepted if it was the only, or the most successful, form of discipline, but it is not. Spanking is simply a short-term fix of a child 's discipline problems. Two of the widely used alternatives to spanking are the time-out and restriction punishments. Time-out is most effective when administered to children under ten years of age, and a restriction mostly benefits children over ten years old. Both of these methods, while effective, also have a positive influence on the child, they teach the child discipline without the use of force, help the child

The experts that are against spanking say that it is a violent act and teaches children that hitting is okay. Pro spanking advocate, Dr. James Dobson, reprinted a very informative article by Dr. Den Trumbull M.D. and Dr. S. DuBose Ravenel M.D. entitled To Spank or Not to Spank: A look at an age-old question that baffles many physicians. It states, "There is no evidence in the medical literature that a mild spank to the buttocks of a disobedient child by a loving parent teaches the child aggressive behavior" (Dobson, 2004, p. 127). Dr. Dobson also cited the doctors whose article said that it is impractical to suppose that a child wouldn't show violent behavior if parents used other forms of discipline rather than spanking. Most toddlers, who have yet to be spanked because of their age, commonly strike out against others in aggravation. This is true of any toddler, seen out in public, who throws a temper tantrum over not getting his way. Countless parents, frustrated themselves, simply remove the child from making an undesirable scene. The only thing to do for a child of that age is to remove temptation and distract the child with a toy or juice cup. As the toddler grows, distraction is more difficult and the disciplining methods increase intensity. Some experts against spanking also argue that

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

The problem with this is many parents use spanking to hurt their child excessively. Spanking a child multiple times is not discipline, it is abuse and many do not realize this. If someone feels like someone is abusing a child, administration gives states the opportunity

Did you know that in America, around 60% of all parents spank their kids? With so many people disciplining their kids, is it possible that all of those people have been doing it wrong. This old act of disciplining might be on the verge of being outdated and useless like the telegraph. Plus, it never benefits the poor kids. For example, this violent action can cause emotional or behavioral problems and might affect their childhood.

We live in a world where punishment is used in order to teach someone a lesson, or to show them that acting a certain way isn’t right. The mission of parents is to be able to teach their kids to surpass them, and to prepare them for the real world. One way of punishment that a lot of parents practice is spanking their children. According to the website, Brookings.edu, it states that in North America, 81% of parents say that spanking their children is sometimes appropriate. While some parents think that spanking is a good way in order to discipline their children, they shouldn’t because it teaches them that violence is the answer, it can cause emotional damage, and it doesn’t teach them how to communicate with other people.

The issue of spanking has become an important social controversy over the past few decades. As a result, some people are bringing out some negative opinions against spanking. One of them argues spanking is really unnecessary and not effective when parents disciple their sons and daughters because it might not be helpful directly changing children’s wrong behaviors result in parents’ abuse and family violence. On the other hand, I do not agree with that because parents’ discipline when a child got mistake is supposed to be under a type of affection toward them, so people would know parents rarely spank them either to express their anger or to beat them severely. Sometimes people may not agree with them, but we need to remember that parents only

A mission statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) describes spanking as "striking a child with an open hand on the buttocks or extremities with the intention of modifying behavior without causing physical injury." 94% of 3 and 4-year-olds have been spanked at least once this year. 74% of mothers believe spanking is acceptable for children ages 1-3. 61% of parents condone spanking as a “regular form of punishment” for young children. It is clear that many

When children get spanked they are only respectful out of fear, not out of discipline. Constant spanking can lead to an abusive lifestyle, if spanking become repetitive in a child’s life it may lead to a violence, depression, or fear. The author states, “Spanking can lead to battering and child abuse. It is estimated that 85-90 percent of child abuse cases were attempts to discipline by the use of physical punishment that got out of

Since the birth of the nation, Americans have debated about the topic of spanking children for discipline. Parent’s waver back and forth for a while it is okay and expected that they will discipline the children by using corporal punishment. Then over the years everything changes and now it’s no longer acceptable. It will be the center of many heated debates and will continue to be so as long as we have parents and as long as they raise children. In the long run parent’s will find out if spanking turned out to be a strength or a weakness but for the immediate future, it’s something America needs to go back to using for guidance purposes. Spanking when used as a form of discipline and not abuse is an effective tool. The use of spanking has