Spanking Argumentative Essay

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 intentions of any responsible and loving parent is giving their child the best education possible and the best values that the child may receive. It is evident that the love of a parent lies not only in indulgence and giving the child the best, but also in raising a complete, mindful, and balanced personality. Discipline is the cornerstone of the decent education, and it sometimes requires challenging measures, one of which is corporal punishment, namely, spanking. Many parents today feel that it is perfectly fine to use spanking as a form of discipline for their children. There is a huge debate about this topic all over the world. The use of corporal punishment as child discipline is both ethical and effective. Spanking a child can teach them right from wrong. It is effective to explain to the child why their behavior was wrong so that they may understand why the spanking was enforced, however, only implied in a mindful aim for a strong reason.

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.

Psychologists differ on what produces the negative correlations in a study of corporal punishment. psychologist Dr. Gershoff argues that spanking leads children to believe that violence achieves results, while Psychologist, Dr. Baumrind and her colleagues opposes that excessive child misbehavior, which can elicit increased disciplinary responses of all kinds, leads to the detrimental outcomes, not the spanking itself. In such circumstances, says Gershoff, excessive child misbehavior is likely the product of ineffective parenting strategies that a parent has used over time (Smith, 2002, page

Have you ever been spanked, when you were a child? Do you remember how it felt? Did it have an effect on your attitude as you grew older? Now, when you look back at it, do you think it was a good thing? I have interviewed three random college students that have been spanked when they were a child. Even though spanking may be an example of physical abuse, I believe it is positive and not as serious as hitting with a fist or object. The following gives examples of how students felt during the time being spanked, how their behavior was after being spanked, and how being spanked affected his/her life.

Spanking is subjective in the least. Most parents suggest that using spankings as a form of discipline is essential to the development of a compliant child. For most Americans, this truth is one of the core foundations of the American model home. “70% of mothers indicated they had spanked their child at least once by the time he or she was 2-years-old” (Lee, Altschul and Gershoff, 2015.) There are numerous amounts of evidence that point to the certainty that spanking is linked to child aggression. In,

Elizabeth T. Gershoff, psychologist at the University of Texas, and Andrew Grogan- Kaylor, psychologist from the University of Michigan, conducted a study that overlooked 160,000 children in 75 previous studies over a 50-year period. Gershoff and Grogan-Kaylor operationally defined their study to reassure others that this experiment is valid. They defined spanking as “an open-handed hit on the behind or extremities” (Holeman and Wire). In addition, they made sure each study met specific criteria’s: It had to be peer-reviewed. It had to separate out of the effects of spanking from other

Researchers have studied that spanking is effective for anyone’s child who had experienced the pain of spanking on their bottoms or any part of their body because it has shown that it has increased the aggressiveness as well as mental issues towards his or her families and peers. For instance, in a book that was based on a true story called “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” where Henrietta had a cervical cancer in her, so years has passed by she had died from the cervical cancer and leaving her children behind. The children had nowhere else to go but to live with their aunt’s house named Ethel. Later Ethel had decided to abuse these children because she had hatred towards Henrietta who Galen was interesting to be with her instead her wife, Ethel. Ethel starves Henrietta’s children by walking them at dawn and forcing them to do chores. In the summer she sends them to Clover to pick the worms off the tobacco leaves and if they ever stop she would beat them. Out of the most of who got abused was Joe Lacks who changed his name to Zakariyya because she would abuse him for no reason by forcing him to stand in the dark basement for hours on end. Over the years now that Ethel has completely crossed the line of abuse he had gotten downright angrier and angrier by having him to have mental disorders, aggressiveness as well as anger because of what he had experienced in the past now that it has permanently affected him for a while by having problems in his later life and becoming an alcoholic, getting himself in trouble as well as murdering someone. Many people say that spanking is a good example of punishing your child, however; parent’s need to realize that if they have crossed the line from spanking it is now considered as abuse

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.

Jordan Riak, leader of Parents and Teachers Against Violence in Education, once said, “Spanking does for a child's development what wife-beating does for a marriage.” Spanking has become a highly accepted form of child abuse in today’s society. Spanking can lead to psychological and mental struggles, behavioral and violence issues, lower cerebral capacities, and less remorse for wrongdoings as an adult. So why are we still choosing to hit our children? It is impossible for children to learn from their mistakes from spanking. The reasoning and understanding portion of their brain shuts down due to fear. However, when approached about their behavior verbally and when the issue is worked through reasonably with

Spanking is a euphemism for hitting. One is not permitted to hit one's spouse or a stranger; such actions are defined as the crime of assault. Nor should one be permitted to hit a small and more vulnerable child. Hitting a child elicits precisely the feelings one does not want to generate in a child: distress, anger, fear, shame, and disgust. Studies show that children who are hit identify with the aggressor and are more likely to become hitters themselves, that is, bullies and future abusers of their own children and partners. They tend to learn to use violent behavior as a way to deal with stress and interpersonal disputes.

The authors also identify the known effects of spanking on childhood outcomes. They noted that most of the literature has been concerned with aggressive child outcomes, such as increased child stress reactivity (Bugenthal, Martorell, and Barraza, 2003). They also noted that studies are emerging on the connection between spanking and child cognitive outcomes. (Gershoff, 2010). They criticize these emerging works as suffering from a lack of "…adequate controls for the predictors of spanking, risk factors which themselves could be

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

In the article “ The Case Against Spanking” written by Brenda L. Smith. A writer in Washington D.C informs us that spanking leads to aggression, antisocial behavior, physical and mental problems. First, by giving information to explain how spanking or any other physical punishment can pose as aggression and or a loss of trust. Then, by explaining that there are other punishments that could be used or

There are different outlooks on spanking. Sheree L. Toth, author of the CNN article “When does spanking become abuse?”(CNN) discusses her negative point of view on corporal punishment. In her article, she discusses how corporal punishment can have long-lasting effects on the mental state of the child and shift parental relationships with their children, all caused by the use physical discipline. “Corporal punishment is of limited effectiveness and has potentially deleterious side effects,” Toth states. She recognizes the effects that corporal punishment may have on individuals, and she disagrees with the uses of it. Toth also understands what the outcomes