Negative Effects Of and Alternatives To Corporal Punishment

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With an impression of his father’s belt buckle on his backside, he trudged to bed too upset to think of anything besides the physical pain of the spanking and the emotional pain from upsetting his father. He forgot to study for an important test, and he took his anger out on the teacher who then sent the boy to the principal’s office for disrespecting the teacher and disrupting the class. The principal took a wooden paddle and swatted the child; when he brought the failed test home, his father struck him with the belt again. The boy cannot escape from the constant pain and suffering surrounding him everywhere he goes. This story is a common occurrence, especially among schools that utilize corporal punishment which is commonly called physical discipline. The use of this form of discipline has been discontinued in many schools across the United States, but parents often use it with their children, too; it can be difficult for young people to evade this physical abuse. Corporal punishment is an ongoing issue for students everywhere because it typically causes physical and mental damage and negatively affects education; however, many effective alternative forms of discipline are available that can and should be used.
The most obvious result of corporal punishment is the excessive physical abuse that children experience. The aggressive attack usually frightens the victim since he or she is powerless against the imminent violence. Many people believe that physical punishment is a form of assault that is simply legal for authoritative figures to use with children even though every other type of assault is not allowed (Clark 368). Parents and schools who administer corporal punishment are often too forceful and harsh; the kids endu...

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Leary, Corrine E., Michelle L. Kelley, Jennifer Morrow, and Peter J. Mikulka. "Parental Use of Physical Punishment as Related to Family Environment, Psychological Well-being, and Personality in Undergraduates." Journal of Family Violence 23.1 (2008): 1-7. Print.
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