The Effects Of Corporal Punishment

When it comes to disciplining children there are many different schools of thought and beliefs of what is right and wrong. These different opinions have been reviewed, discussed and argued by many different adults including parents, teachers, psychologists, and lawmakers. Every day parents must make decisions on what they believe is ethically and morally right when they discipline their children. Corporal punishment is one such decision. By definition, corporal punishment is “the infliction of physical pain upon a person’s body as punishment for a crime or infraction” (Encyclopedia, 2015). In a more general sense of the term, it refers to the physical disciplining of children.

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.

What does Corporal punishment mean? Murray Straus, a sociologist who has written extensively on the topic, defines corporal punishment as “the use of physical force with the intention of causing a child to experience pain, but not hurt, for the purpose of correction or control of the child’s behavior.” Some common forms of corporal punishment are: spanking, slapping, grabbing or shoving a child roughly or hitting with objects like belt, paddle, or hair brush.

Parents have been finding new ways to discipline their children for decades, but one form of child rearing has endured through out the years as the go to punishment, spanking. Although spanking children has been around for a long time, it is a form of abuse used to punish bad behavior in children, the term spanking dissociates hitting kids and abusing them. Spanking children is extremely popular in the United States with almost all parents participating in this cruel behavior. Giles-sims, a Professor of Family Sociology at Texas Christian University quotes a study that says, “99% of parents had spanked 5-year-old children at least once” (Giles-sims, 170). The reason spanking is so common is because there is a lot of misinformation about how spanking effects kids. Parents do not know what spanking will do to the psychology of the child or the relationship they have with their children. For that reason, Parents should not discipline their children through spanking because spanking can have adverse effects on children’s relationship with parents and other children.

However, using corporal punishment flexibly and appropriately is also necessary: it is important to disciplinary system; it is an effective tactic to discipline children, so it can reduce the incidence of child abuse; and it will not harm children who are under six but benefit them. Corporal punishment should not be prohibited because it is a safe and effective tactic to discipline children as long as parents use it rationally. If parents use it as the trump of their disciplinary system, use it in control, and only use it to teach children under six, spanking is a reasonable and viable option to teach children. Corporal punishment can be detrimental, but it also can beneficial to both parents and children. It only depends on how parents use

Corporal Punishment is a physical form of punishment where a person inflicts pain to punish another; when someone commits a crime. There are different variations of physical pain; such as spanking, paddling, or caning, which is given to parents, guardians, school officials, or other officials. There are other types of physical pain, in ancient times, people would inflict pain by flogging; whipping, branding and amputation. It is now known today as a source of punishment in the legal system, and in homes of citizens. Corporal Punishment still exists today are in the United States, Japan, England, and China.

Spanking, also referred to as corporal punishment, is defined as: an act of slapping, especially on the buttocks as a punishment for children. According to Alvin Poussaint, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry, at Harvard Medical School, “Researchers have found that children who are spanked show higher rates of aggression and delinquency in childhood than those who were not spanked. As adults, they are more prone to depression, feelings of alienation, use of violence toward a spouse, and lower economic and professional achievement. None of this is what we want for our children” (Poussaint 17). Corporal punishment in U.S. homes is lawful in all 50 states, and 19 of those states still allow spanking in schools, which causes a multitude of issues. In likeness, many other countries have made spanking illegal because it engenders negative physical, emotional, and cognitive effects on children; there are many effective and harmless alternatives to corporal punishment.

For many years, corporal punishment has been considered an acceptable form of discipline for parents to use on their children. In fact, “…research shows that up to 90 percent of parents spank their children” (Ogilvie). Despite the number of people who utilize corporal punishment, there is still a fierce debate about whether or not it is effective or healthy. Arguments have explored the effect on behavior, personality, relationships, and perspectives for the child. The purpose of spanking is “…to correct or to punish a child’s behavior by causing physical pain” (Cuddy and Reeves). Spanking, however, should not be acceptable, as it causes long-term damage to children and is less effective than other forms of punishment.

Corporal punishment in these days has been becoming a topic in many old timers talks. Many believe that it helps and is definitely the way to go. The older generations still seem to believe that society would be better off if kids still got punished the way they did. They refuse to ignore data that has not supported the clams they bring up about making children better behaved or as they call it “Straightening them up”. Many believe that our liberal democracy population has views that are not valid and that the old ways need to come back to help us grow.

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.

The main purpose of my essay is to illustrate the negative impact of corporal punishment, using my experience in Nigeria as a case study. I think the essay is tightly focused as I specifically talked about how corporal punishment negatively impacts people’s pain coping mechanisms. The theme I developed was corporal punishment as a vaccine for pain.

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

It is a common enough scene, something you have probably experienced with your own children countless times. They are being loud, fighting, or just generally doing something they are not supposed to be doing. So you spank them. Maybe even yell. You’re frustrated, at your whit’s end. You just want them to stop, want them to learn and make better choices. Only, after spanking them, their behavior worsens. The effect you thought spanking them would have is not working. They act out more, get more aggressive. A debate has risen, as scenarios such as this become more talked about. Some say corporal punishment is damaging psychologically and negatively impacts childhood development. So the question has to be asked: “Is spanking bad?”

Corporal punishment allows for children to interact with others as in an appropriate manner. Children who are not disciplined do not understand how their actions will impact those around them, which can lead to others interacting negatively or avoiding them. This usually occurs because the parents are afraid to reprimand their children, which leads to the parents giving in to all their children's demands to avoid them throwing a tantrum. The children become spoiled and self-serving, and this attitude is reflected in their social interactions. On the other hand, the use of corporal punishment promotes children to excel in school and be more active in their community (Morefield 4). It provides children with the control they need in order to become functioning members of society. It allows them to regulate their emotions in a socially acceptable way. By doing so, they do not overload

Corporal punishment is a form of punishment used on children to correct bad behavior. The definition of corporal punishment is, a physical punishment , as flogging, inflicted on the body of one convicted of a crime (Dictionary.com). While several states strictly prohibit corporal punishment in schools, 44% of states in the U.S. still allow it to occur. Corporal punishment is an inappropriate way to correct bad behavior. However, almost 50% of the states in the U.S. still allow it to occur. Corporal punishment is always wrong to use in schools because it causes long-term negative effects on students, negative opinions of school or teachers, and it can increase the rate of crime and violence from students.