Proponents of spanking bans have a tendency to label spanking as corporal punishment. They then categorize it along with many abusive activities. Psychologist Kerby Alvy explains corporal punishment as, “pinching, pulling ears and hair, shaking, slapping, smacking, spanking, swatting, hitting, kicking, punching, paddling, using switches, hair brushes, belts and ironing cords, and having children kneel on gravel or ...
Many authorities and psychologists believe that spanking breaks a child's spirit and only leads to violence. They think that it causes the child to become depressed, angry or hostile and they have conducted many studies to prove these things. This type of harsh punishment occurs often, but it is called child abuse. There is a great difference between abusing a child and properly disciplining a child. "One is an act of love; the other is an act of hostility, and they are as different as night and day" (Dobson 35).
Spanking has several effects on the children which build many opinions among the people. Researchers have shown many positive and negative sides of physical punishment. There are several people that agree with spanking their children and there are others who are against punishing the children. Many of the parents who spank their children believe that spanking is sometimes okay because they think it will make a positive effect on their behavior. Spanking is used to correct children’s behavior, but, many people think that instead of bettering the child’s behavior it makes it worse. Spanking has been a huge issue in the past decades. Many children have been physically abused and many others have never experienced any physical harm. However, several people have been fighting so that spanking becomes against the law and so that the children have more rights and security. On the other hand, there are other parents that want spanking to be legal because they believe spanking has helped them correcting the child's behavior.
Arguments arise when the topic of “spanking” comes up. There are good and bad feelings that are brought out about it. The world has different opinions on how misbehavior should be handled. Race, ethnicity, and age also have influenced how spanking is looked upon. Is spanking too much for children? Is spanking just beating children? This tool is used too get the attention of the child in a firm manner. Spanking is an effective way to show punishment, although it is looked upon as a crime in today’s era through the nation’s eye.
The use of corporal punishment is not effective, and can have negative long term effects on children. Of the many different forms of discipline, corporal punishment is one of them. This act of punishment can be defined as the intentional infliction of pain on the body, usually done on children by spanking or with a paddle. Though there are parents who still do this in their household, it is not necessary or very effective long-term. Being that it is a true public health issue in the United States, both the society that we live in and the mental health of children are clearly at stake when it comes to physical punishment. It is important that parents and legal guardians understand what their limits are and if physical punishment should be acceptable today.
As we grow a foundation of rules are applied to us to help guide our behavior in the choices we make as we age. A certain modification is exerted, and we learn what we want by having our consequences corrected due to this behavior. A choice to spank a child, slap, pinch, hit with an object nearby, or make them eat unpleasant substances to curb their behavior are types of physical punishment. Surveys have documented majority of parents whom were physically punished growing up to punished their own children as they were. Research also indicates short-term consequences within a child from being physically punished which may cause the child to begin bullying other children, aggressiveness is shown, behavioral problems, enduring low self-esteem, becoming petrified of their own parents, and believing it is okay to lay a hand on another. The abuse of physical punishment can get a person arrested with a jail sentence, loss of custody, and in extreme cases horrifying injuries cause death to an individual (“Physical Punishment”, 2012). Two-thirds of Americans still approve of spanking their children, even after studies have shown this type of physical punishment can lead to increased aggression, antisocial behavior, physical injury and mental health problems for children (Smith,
The use of this form of punishment of spanking has been used for the longest time. Many parents have this form of punishment towards their children to help control their child in some cases. Like in the article “Spanking” by John A Addleman he adds to this argument of how there are many parents who strongly follow this form of punishment for their children. He added that there are parents who also believe that this form of corporal punishment is not abuse “ data regarding attitudes about spanking, have found that most parents believe that corporal punishment is a non abusive manner is an acceptable form of discipline” (Addleman 1). Many may ask what kind of corporal punishment exactly is acceptable to use towards your child. The form of punishment
Spanking, a fictitious form of child abuse, is an appropriate action toward unruly children. It is a popular practice used to instill discipline and values in children, and is more effective than talking to or yelling at the child or placing the child in “time out” sessions. In the long run, spanking causes no damage to the child’s mental or physical health. Instead, it creates a basis for good behavior.
The use of spanking is one of the most controversial parenting practices and also one of the oldest, spanning throughout many generations. Spanking is a discipline method in which a supervising adult deliberately inflicts pain upon a child in response to a child’s unacceptable behaviour. Although spanking exists in nearly every country and family, its expression is heterogeneous. First of all the act of administering a spanking varies between families and cultures. As Gershoff (2002) pointed out, some parents plan when a spanking would be the most effective discipline whereas some parents spank impulsively (Holden, 2002). Parents also differ in their moods when delivering this controversial punishment, some parents are livid and others try and be loving and reason with the child. Another source of variation is the fact that spanking is often paired with other parenting behaviours such as, scolding, yelling, or perhaps raging and subsequently reasoning. A third source of variation concerns parental characteristics. Darling and Steinberg (1993) distinguished between the content of parental acts and the style in which it was administered (Holden, 2002). With all this variation researchers cannot definitively isolate the singular effects of spanking.
While the practice of corporal punishment is still valid in some parts of the world it has become a dishonorable custom in other parts, especially in the West. Many parents have argued in favor for such kind of punishment by claiming that it is a quick and efficient way to achieve “immediate compliance” and discipline their children. Corporal punishment still stands as an everyday approach to ensuring discipline for the children. “Interviews conducted in 2000 for the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY, 2002) indicated that of all the parents of 3-year-olds, 51.6% reported that they had used corporal punishment in the past week, and 35.9% of parents of 4 and 5-year-olds reported that they had used corporal punishment in the same time period.”
Historically in most cultures across the world, parents have always been seen as the ones who have the responsibility of disciplining their children and therefore they have the right to spank them when they feel it is appropriate for disciplinary purposes. Spanking is therefore an age old practice that has been used to ensure that children can grow up in an upright manner and in line with the societal expectations and norms. During the early years, it was the norm that rearing a child involved the focus on ensuring they grow up with discipline and that children should not be spoilt by soothing them when they cry for example when they have been disciplined It is however important to note that this view saw significant changes during the 1950s and 60s after a publication by Spock in 1946 which contained arguments against spanking and urged the
"Spanking doesn 't work, and it just makes kids mistrustful and aggressive. What we 're teaching them is fear rather than responsibility and problem-solving." said Kimberly Sirl, a clinical psychologist at St. Louis Children 's Hospital (Blythe). This is important because parents need to understand spanking doesn 't work and it results that the child becomes aggressive and mistrustful. Parents are trying to teach their child a lesson but instead making them fearful. Children will be aggressive and think violence is the answer to everything. The point of spanking is to teach the child what they did was wrong but kids don 't get that message when they get physically abused. It teaches them the wrong lesson and they think that it 's okay to spank kids so when they get older they will probably do the same thing. Corporal punishment of a child by a caregiver is legal in every state, but it crosses the line to abuse when a child is injured. Doctors and teachers are required to report to authorities any marks, bruises, cuts or other injuries inflicted on a child (Blythe). Anyone who is a caregiver of a child is legally allowed to hit the child. It only becomes an issue or problem when the child is left with bruises, marks, and injuries. If a doctor or teacher were to see any type of bruise on the child they are required to report it. There is spanking a
Corporal punishment is the physical disciplinary method used by parents, teachers, and school administrators in an effort to correct a child’s undesirable behaviors. The use of physical force is one that is often times controversial and usually evokes very strong reactions. These feelings surface, and opposing views clash, when scandals surrounding corporal punishment hit the media and heated arguments in the comments section of articles emerge. While corporal punishment occasionally makes its way into the limelight, it is a decision all parents are faced with eventually and often times daily. For example, when a toddler is sprawled out on the grocery store floor kicking, hitting, and flinging
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,...
As children grow up, they’re more than likely exposed to being disciplined in one way or another. “Surveys of parents show that 90 percent have used some form of physical punishment on their children” (Graziano 1). So therefore, we can all agree that when it comes down to being punished, parents more often than not resort to spanking their child(ren). That being said, many parents will readily agree that spanking a child should not be considered a form of child abuse. However, the question still stands: how far does the spanking have to go in order for it to be considered child abuse? Although some are convinced that there are better ways to discipline a child, there are others that maintain the idea that spanking is the best option for disciplinary action.