Should Step Parents Be Allowed To Discipline Essay

In modern society, physical discipline is still considered a somewhat suitable way of teaching children how to behave in life, though it is decreasing in popularity as time goes on. When using physical discipline, the parent should never have the intention of causing harm, they should always have the intention of being constructive. Whether or not physical discipline results in a beneficial outcome is dependent upon how it is used. If it is the only, or primary, source of discipline, the outcome is generally unfavorable. Also, as said in an article by Larzelere and Kuhn, if the discipline is too violent, and results in the child becoming injured, the child is not going to retain the intended lesson (1). An example of non-abusive physical discipline is conditional spanking. Conditional spanking "is defined as about two open-hand swats to the buttocks when a parent is not angrily out of control" (Larzelere, Kuhn 1). This type of punishment "teaches a child to cooperate with the milder disciplinary tactic, thereby making spanking less necessary in the future" (Larzelere, Kuhn 1) . When parents decide to use physical discipline, the primary intention of the parent should always be that the punishment is being "used in such a way that [it] reduces the need to use it in the future" (Larzelere, Kuhn 1). A parent should never hit a child

reasonable contact between children and parents must take place unless restricted by a court order.

The parent allows the child to regulate his or herself as much as possible and if expectations are not met punishments rarely follow. Also the little rules and regulation as well as everything else is thoroughly explained and discussed with the child. Overall if the child disagrees, he/she is often accommodated and given what they want (Dewar, 2014). Located roughly in the middle of these two styles lies authoritative parenting. Authoritative parenting is an even balance of authoritarian and permissive. Authoritative styles have many rules and regulations and overall expectations of the child. Typically, the rules are discussed with the child and if believed to be fair, are negotiable. If expectations have not been met, the child will be spoken to and have the situation explained on how to improve for future events (Gwen Dewar, 2014). Punishments do exist in this style but rather than making the child fear them, they are given punishments to “remember and learn”. As opposed to authoritarians’ the child will be allowed to state his opinion and is given the opportunity to question things.

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.

According to Prevent Child Abuse North Dakota, “The goal of discipline is to create an orderly, predictable, stable, and fun world to enjoy and grow healthy.” When it comes to discipling a child, there are many different courses of action that could be taken. Parents can and should discipline their children (Smenyak). There is a large controversy over the most universal discipline method there is, spanking. Many parents believe that spanking their child can be a beneficial way of correcting a child if done correctly (Smenyak). Other parents believe that spanking a child is simply abuse, that it does not work, or that “Spanking plants a seed for later violent behavior,” says AskDrSears.com.

Child discipline is an important part of parenthood. It is challenging for adults to manage children’s behaviors and find the correct lessons that will benefit their children. According to the research performed by Flynn (1998), most parents in the United States agree that "it is sometimes necessary to discipline a child with a good, hard spanking" (p.26). Socolar et al. performed research which agreed that “corporal punishment of children persists—roughly fifty percent of the parents of toddlers in the United States use corporal punishment as a regular method of disciplining their children.” (as cited in Gershoff, 2010, p.32). That is not to say that physical punishment is the solution as it can stop a behavior immediately but the results

Child abuse is a very serious issue here in the United States. Child abuse is defined as the physical, mental, sexual abuse or exploitation, negligent treatment, or maltreatment of a child who is under the age 18 (Pro Quest Staff). Many of the children get abused by the person in charge of the child's care. This includes loved ones of the child, people who the child once could trust. In the all U.S. states allow parents to hit/spank their children in the manner of discipline.

Parents who use their child as a way to let out anger or frustration as if their child was a punching bag should be accused of child abuse. If the child is constantly not disciplined for bad behavior it can to lead to a build up of anger in the parent which can be taken out on the child through abuse. In an article it says, “ The most important thing, experts say, is to defuse your anger before you start disciplining”(Degregory). The severity of the injury can differ by how angry you are when disciplining. In some states when authorities are trying to figure out if its child abuse or discipline one of the things they look at is how bad the injury was. Everybody has seen that angry and frustrated mother in the grocery store slap her child because the child was misbehaving. This might be considered abuse because it was anger driven but authorities will also look at the intent of it. If it was out of love to teach the child its not appropriate to act like he/she was then it might be looked at as discipline. Discipline needs to be controlled, never out of anger. Controlled discipline is done out of love and the benefit of the child. In “Three Kinds of Discipline” by John Holt he talks about the discipline of superior force which is discipline given so the child doesn’t get hurt and keep him/her out of danger. Holt states, “We can’t afford to let small children find out from experience the danger of playing in a busy street, or fooling with the pots on the top of a stove, or of eating up the pills in the medicine cabinet” (79-81). Discipline comes from people who know what they do can effect their child’s life and their opportunities. Where as a child abuser is angry and makes it all about their feelings or their own desires. Often people who were abused by angry parents become just like that with their own

For many years, discipline was and still is a grey line. By 2000, Studies were showing major associations between physical punishment and mental health, physical injury, parent-child relationships and family violence in adulthood. This led many countries to take action against violent punishments. Therefore, countries banned domestic violence after they decided that gentle discipline is the best method to raise a kid. On the other hand, many parents are reluctant to leave their physical ways of discipline. These techniques come from cultural, and religious beliefs that have been rooted in the parents. The parents continue to use violence as a way to discipline their kids, claiming that it is more efficient than gentle and soft methods of discipline.

The debate on parenting is a very interesting topic. There are always two sides to a debate. Parents have viewed spanking and discipline as a key if not the key to ensure a child can survive and adapt to

Discipline also leads to more respect from the child. When children are disciplined at home, those children tend to be respectful towards others. Those children say respectful things like good morning, please, thank you, etc. Also, discipline instills appropriate behavior. When a parent disciplines their child for poor behavior, he or she learns about what behavior is acceptable. According to an article in the journal Pediatrics and Child Health, “Discipline can foster appropriate behavior in children, teaching them how to interact with others, when to postpone pleasure and how to tolerate discomfort” (Carpenter). With effective child discipline, that child will be respectful his or her whole life. For example, if a child borrows something from their parents, the parents car or jacket, and doesn’t return it either with a full tank or washed, than next time when they ask, the answer will be no. Next time around they are going to respect the parents and the parents’ things if that child wants access to the parents’ belongings, they are going to return it the way they found it (Radzka).

Discipline is one of the basic things a child learns from his parents before he or she faces the outside world to learn more about life as a whole. Teaching this trait can depend on how the parent shows it to their child and how they explain the importance of having this trait both in and out of their homes. Misbehaving children cannot be avoided as they are curious little beings and they have a tendency to explore. But there are some parents, even teachers, who do not tolerate misbehaving and they resort to corporal punishments such as spanking to make sure the child never forgets how painful it is to misbehave as they will remember the punishment entailed to it and become more disciplined. However, not all children would understand the

Children are like flowers, if well taken care of they will bloom. If ignored or tortured, they will wither and die. Child discipline is one of the most important elements of successful parenting. Today, many people have this notion that physical abuse is in no way a solution to helping children discern between right and wrong. Since generations children have been taught the art of discipline through physical punishment. Often this approach to disciplining has resulted in two outcomes, one is where the child becomes more tolerant and is willing to adhere to what he/she has been told, or the other which more often results in children developing a sense of anguish and desire to revolt.

Parents should be learned about how their form of discipline affects their child because punishment does not have a sense of discipline as the only outcome. Sometimes children are less responsive to a certain form of discipline than others. It cannot be helped that a child is unique and different from others. The child is also a factor in terms of discipline and punishment it is not solely dependent on his/her parent and the way they discipline.

A child’s parent or guardian will normally have authority over a child’s welfare. In regards to medical and mental health, a parent may subject the child to surgeries despite the objections of