Spanking: Right or Wrong?
By: Alyssa Clawson
September 8, 2015
Every parent must undergo the question of how to properly discipline their child. Everyone has a different idea of what is “okay” and what is not. Many parents turn to different articles and try a variation of ideas. Spanking is a form of punishment that people have very strong opinions about. Whether people are for or against spanking, there is always reasoning behind this their thoughts and values. “…you can't tell your child not to hit others and then raise your own hand to him." says Lewis Goldberg. Many people are not for spanking for the same reasons that Lewis mentioned. They argue that spanking is “corporal punishment”, which is classified as child abuse. This can have
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You need to have a common ground with your child where they will mind you but also come to you if they need help. Many times a child will just end up acting out worse than they would have in the beginning. You have to properly discipline your child. Some of these children will end up turning to drugs, sex, or possibly being very depressed (Dr. Archer). The fact that people hit their children when they do something wrong confuses them. It makes them think that people should be punished physically when they do something that they are not supposed. This can end up creating a continuous cycle that is only dangerous to that child and the people in their …show more content…
I believe that there are many other, more efficient ways, to discipline and make your child mind. There are many ways that you can use positive reinforcement that will have a better outcome. Spanking can lead to more mental problems as well as be involved in violence (Reeves and Cuddy, 2014). We tell children not to hit therefore I do not understand why you would hit your child to teach them a lesson.
References:
The Great Spanking Debate. (n.d.). Retrieved September 14, 2015, from http://www.parents.com/toddlers-preschoolers/discipline/spanking/spanking-discipline-debate/
Spanking. (n.d.). Retrieved September 14, 2015, from http://www.drmarlo.com/?page_id=39
(n.d.). Retrieved September 14, 2015, from http://time.com/3387226/spanking-can-be-an-appropriate-form-of-child-discipline/
Hitting Kids: American Parenting and Physical Punishment. (2014, November 6). Retrieved September 14, 2015, from http://www.brookings.edu/blogs/social-mobility-memos/posts/2014/11/06-parenting-hitting-mobility-reeves
Adrian Peterson Case: Some Parents Say Spankings Improved Them - NBC News. (n.d.). Retrieved September 14,
Many see spanking as a form of parental rights and that the parent has the right to raise their child the way they consider most appropriate. Those in favor of spanking, also hold there is little evidence that moderate spanking is harmful. Further, many believe that discipline problems among children have recently increased, and partially attribute the boost to the decline of both parental authority and the use of spanking.
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.
Many of these parents who support spanking feel it is their right to do so. This is justified by the simple fact as when they were a child they were spanked and said “I turned out okay”. This is probably true for most of them, but 2017 is a different world from when they were children. Supporting parents often say they know when and where to draw the line. “At least 1,200 children are killed every year at the hands of their parents in the name of physical punishment.” (Guidance of Effective Discipline, online). As I stated early, there is no written guideline to follow, so how do we know when enough is enough? There is a huge grey area that is undefined and the true answer is they don’t. Parents sometimes forget that it is there duty to teach and educate to help our children reach their full potential. Parents need to stop justifying their rights to discipline as a parent and focus on changing the culture by using alternative methods and
Spanking in history was the typical punishment you would receive when you missed behave. Some fathers would take their belts off, make you grab a switch (a flexible tree branch that was used for punishment), a wooden spoon, or whatever was closest for the parent to grab. Spanking is defined as hitting a child on the bottom with an open hand. (Narvaez) All parents have had those moments when they are at their wits in with their children when they are being terrors, but instantly resorting to spanking is not the only resolution to get your children to listen. In fact, spanking your children may do more harm than good. Unfortunately, not all parents know the difference between abusing their children, and only spanking them one or two times. Abusing your children is never right, but spanking your child can be a form of abuse. Studies have shown that spanking may not
Why Spanking Children is Wrong Parents have been spanking their children for hundreds of years, but recently this practice has come into question. The concern is not regarding the effectiveness of spanking but the correctness of spanking. Parents should not be allowed to strike their children. Child abuse is defined as any unnecessary or intentional physical or emotional or sexual mistreatment of children. Spanking is not the only method of child discipline. Spanking is not even the most effective method of child discipline. Numerous studies have made it evident that spanking does have a negative effect on children. Spanking children should be considered child abuse because it teaches children the wrong message about hitting, it does not
Living in the twenty-first century you rarely ever see someone spank their child or hear the word spank come out of a parent’s mouth. I see too many parents today that are too self-righteous to “spank” their children, because many people see spanking as form of abuse. Many parents in today’s world use more reasonable punishments for their misbehaving children. Some parents put their children in time-outs, deny them of their freedom, take toys away and ground them. I have seen parents use these methods because there are more reasonable ways of punishing their child for being disobedient. However, not everybody in today’s world uses these methods for punishing children; some parents use the act of spanking for punishment. Spanking was a popular punishment back in the 1900s, but is a very debatable topic in today’s society.
1. (Tell the Story of my friend and his son rough housing) 2. Spanking children is an act where the parent and/or governing figure in the child’s immediate circle slap the child, mainly on the buttocks as a punishment. This is very harmful to the physiological and neurological development of children. 3.
Have you ever saw someone hit their child and thought to yourself was that abuse or discipline? Many people understand that punishment and abuse are different, but they don’t know what should or shouldn’t be considered abuse. Theres a big debate on if spanking should be considered punishment or child abuse. Studies have always shown that most abuse goes unreported. There is a point where discipline becomes abuse and that’s when discipline is unfair, anger driven, and inconsistent.
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
While this review of literature on spanking children is limited in finding evidence in supporting spanking, the research available that opposes spanking is rather compelling. The findings from the reviewed articles provide advice to parents, both new and long-time, on how to discipline their children if they want their children to have the best outcomes. The studies that have been reviewed are only a small amount of what has been published regarding the negative impacts that spanking can have on children. Additionally, this research may be a start for a move in society to begin viewing spanking as a negative child-rearing practice. While there is a lot more research that could be reviewed on this topic, high levels of aggression, behavioral problems, and
Spanking has been a controversial topic among many parents. Some believe it is just a form of discipline and is okay, while others believe that this is abuse or violence and it will harm the child in the long run.
Many people believe that "a quick swat" from them to their child sends a clear message and is effectual discipline when included with loving remarks and in consistent fashion. I believe this view is the best way to help us understand the question: "is it ever appropriate to spank a child?" I believe that the answer that most definitely does not solve this question is that disciplining a child with spanking is alright when nothing else will work, or when the parent has "had enough." This could lead to abuse and/or psychosocially damaging discipline sessions. The context is that all-important factor that defines whether the discipline is appropriate or not. Unfortunately, many parents may have inherited foolish discipline
Spanking has become an arguably debatable form of discipline. According to a study at the University of Texas, the more children are spanked, the more likely they are to defy their parents (“Spanking: Pros and Cons”). There is a connection between spanking during the childhood and mental health diagnoses later in life. There are other options of discipling your child than spanking them, especially because all children can take spanking differently. Parents should not spank their child because it showers that being “stronger” is right, demonstrates that older people have a right to hit younger people, and gives the examples that violence solves all problems.
The second reason why spanking should not be done to children is the fact that it is a form of child abuse. At the moment, countries are divided as to legalize corporal punishment or create a law saying it is illegal. In the book written by Abela (2007) for the Council of Europe, she notes that “spanking of children less than two years old increases the risk of severe physical injury and the child is unlikely to understand the connection between behavior and punishment.” Most parents tend to go overboard when disciplining their children, especially when they are very angry and have not subdued their anger. This then makes the child their venting medium to get rid of that anger and sometimes, they do not apologize and even forget why they have done the deed. Other parents tend to make this a habit and even if the child did nothing wrong, they would still continue spanking the child. Eventually, the parents may slowly abuse the child through pain and totally make the child’s life a complete hell. As a result, child becomes frail and suffers psychological problems. Some countries, especially social services, use this as grounds to get the child away from the family and file cases of child abuse and physical injury that can lead to jail time if proven guilty. Spanking may also cause scarring and may be with the child