The Down Side to Spanking

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From the earliest practice, in Ancient Greece, physical discipline or spanking has been endorsed as the superior method for disciplining children. From then on spanking came to be a very common method of discipline all over the world. Even to this day spanking is a very common practice. In fact two thirds of Americans approve of spanking to this day. Although, spanking or physical discipline in America has declined progressively over the years because parents are now more aware of the negative effects spanking has on children. A childs’ behavior is altered negatively rather than positively when they are disciplined physically through spanking.
Honestly, spanking is the quickest and fastest way to challenge a misbehaved child’s behavior. It may even allow guardian to stop that specific problem in a child’s behavior before it gets out of hand. According to psychologist Dr. James Dobson “… when the child fully understand what he is being asked to do or not to do but refuses to yield to adult leadership an appropriate spanking is the shortest and most affective route to an adjustment….”. Spanking is most affective when a child fully comprehends why their poor behavioral decisions are inadequate compared to what is expected of them. Although, spanking may be a quick solution it is only a temporary solution. Spanking may stop a child from misbehaving on a certain occasion, but a child will return to its misbehaving manners because they were focusing in on their hurtful punishment rather than learning from their poor decision. Author of many child discipline books, Carl Pickhardt, states “…. spanking is a temporary solution that does more harm than good. It "works" because it's external control over a child, but it doesn't promote i...

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