Is Corporal Punishment The Best Way? 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.
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
There is always two sides to every story and this is still very much the case in the debate on spanking children. Spanking is one of the most controversial and most debated topics of this century. Moreover, there seems to never be a middle road and debaters always feel very strongly one way or another. This topic in general quite often falls prey to the excluded extreme fallacy that one is either fully for spanking or fully against it; either way to the fullest extent. Some believe spanking is a necessary tool in instilling respect and appropriate behavior, while others argue that is does more damage to a child than it does reparation.
The Spanking Issue: The Ethical Dilemma of Corporal Punishment This issue of corporal punishment is a current issue that many people have on their minds. The issue strikes an emotional chord for many whom were or were not punished by spanking during their own childhoods. The issue generally focuses on the effect that spanking or other discipline methods will have on children. I will specifically be exploring the question: is it ever appropriate to spank a child? The cases for and against the spanking of young children are many and varied. But the main issue is the level of appropriateness that the act can reach.
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.
Let’s look at the results of this survey. All of the Republican voters believe that it is acceptable for someone to spank their children. On the other hand, 33 percent of Third Party voters agree with spanking while the other 67 percent disagree with spanking. The Democratic voters are the ones whose beliefs on spanking are quite evident—only 13.86 of them agree with spanking—while the rest, a whopping 86.14 percent, do not agree with spanking their children. Do you notice a trend here? As shown by the results of the survey, Democrats tend to not agree with corporal punishment. Although this doesn’t hold true every time (there are exceptions), if someone doesn’t agree with corporal punishment then they are extremely likely to be a Democrat.
In 2014 UNICEF reported that 80% of parents in the world support spanking (Holeman and Wire). Another study conducted in 2012 showed that 70% of parents that live in America, also, support the use of spanking (Perry). Despite the majority in favor of spanking, there are numerous debates about whether
Discipline Shouldn’t Leave Scars 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
Punishing children for their wrong-doings has been and always will be necessary for a child's development of right and wrong. The different types of punishments parents use on their children work for various types and degrees of trouble the child is in. Laura Markham, a clinical psychologist that specializes in relationship-based parenting, assumes in her essay “Should You Spank Your Child?” that spanking is one of the worst punishments a child could receive from his parents. However, corporal punishment teaches responsibility and the difference between right and wrong, remains different from abuse, and is not the reason for issues in adulthood.
When someone becomes a parent they constantly worry about how their child will turn out, if they’ll raise their child correctly, and some people even obsess with wanting to use the best disciplinary methods on their children. Everyone has their own input, their own view, and their own opinion about how to parent a child correctly. Spanking is a universally debated topic. Many experts go against corporal punishment, but many parents still think that spanking is an effective discipline strategy. Should they do it? Is it effective? What are the consequences and the effects? Throughout my paper I will go over the many reasons as to parents should not spank their children.
Everyone has heard the expression, “my parents spanked me and I turned out just fine.” Thirty years ago people did not think twice about spanking their children. This was a socially excepted form of discipline. In fact, it was so publicly accepted that even teachers and principals were allowed
Spanking your Child into a Problematic Life? In 2014 UNICEF reported that 80% of parents in the world support spanking (Holeman and Wire). Another study conducted in 2012 exposed that 70% of parents that live in America, also, support the use of spanking (Perry). Despite the majority in favor of spanking,
According to Roger Thompson, associate professor at Stony Brook University “If we are going to take seriously what science tells us about how we form relationships and how our mind develops, we will need to construct new strategies for parenting and when we do… we just may change the world”
Spanking has sparked a debate for a while now, many do no think that spanking is the way to discipline your kids and others differ from that perspective. Many parents do not accept a technique such as that, many others prefer punishment such as, time out, no play time, taking
The theory of discipline has been debated for decades. Arguments over how it should be carried out and how harsh it should be has been discussed. One aspect of discipline has been shoved into the dark, the effect on the child. No matter how much it is spoken of children