Stop Corporal Punishment

If your adult neighbor engaged in offensive or irritating behavior, would you hit him or her? You probably wouldn’t. What if that neighbor had less than average adult physical or mental abilities? You would probably be even less likely to hit them then. If you love that neighbor as a family member, hitting them would seem like an even worse way of dealing with the situation. Now imagine this is your child, typically a person of less than average adult abilities and a person you love as a family member. Would you hit your child? This is the type of decision many parents struggle with making.

The common view of most psychologists is that parents should not spank their children. The American Psychological Association (APA) opposes the use of corporal punishment in schools, juvenile facilities, child care nurseries and all other institutions, public or private, where children are cared for or educated. This includes the institution of the family. Spanking can escalate toward physical abuse, potentially injuring the child, and can contribute to later emotional and behavior problems, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. It’s also less effective than alternative disciplinary tactics, and it’s a hard habit to break, the organization also says. During the last decade, studies have shown that children who get spanked are more likely than their peers to display behavior and emotional problems later in life. The more frequently they’re spanked, the more harmful the consequences tend to be. As far back as 1950, psychologists began experimenting with the idea that physical force used against a child taught the child to be aggressive. In other words, spanking taught the child to hit others. The more children are spanked,...

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Corporal punishment signals to the child that a way to settle interpersonal conflicts is to use physical force and inflict pain. Such children may in turn resort to such behavior themselves. They may also fail to develop trusting, secure relationships with adults and fail to evolve the necessary skills to settle disputes or wield authority in less violent ways. Supervising adults who will fully humiliate children and punish by force and pain are often causing more harm than they prevent. If corporal punishment isn’t harming to children, then why is outlawed in many states? Of course, not all studies about corporal punishment have been proven, but isn’t there enough that have been proven to get people to quit spanking their children. I am not a parent, but if there was any doubt in my mind that something was bad for my child, I know I would stop.