First published: 31 January 2022 @ 6:00 pm
The topic of spanking has always been controversial. While spanking children is considered a form of discipline that parents use, many experts believe that this practice should be discontinued as it has been linked to detrimental effects on the child’s development.
The opinions on spanking have varied over the years, but there has been a recent change in attitudes toward it.
More parents are choosing not to spank their children at all. Spanking was a common disciplinary technique in the past, but is not used by many parents today.
This article will talk about what corporal punishment is, why it happens, what its effects are, and what alternatives exist for it.
What is Corporal Punishment?
The definition of corporal punishment is any action that causes pain to a person or animal, such as spanking, paddling, hitting, kicking, whipping, choking or forcing an animal to perform labor without compensation. We also know it as physical punishment.
In the case of parenting, corporal punishment is when parents give out physical punishment to their children when their children misbehave.
This can include hitting, spanking, or paddling. Corporal punishment is a means of discipline for a child that involves the use of physical force.
Sometimes, the physical punishment is followed by a verbal warning. We call this “chastisement,” which means punishment or correction.
Why Do Some Parents Do it?
Many parents feel that physical discipline is the only way to teach children the proper way to behave and get them to do what they are told.
They believe that this parenting technique will prevent future bad behavior by giving children the idea that if they misbehave again, there will be consequences for their actions.
By using chastisement after doling out physical punishment, these parents hope that their children will learn not to repeat their mistake because they know they will be punished if it happens again.
The most common reason parents give for spanking their children is that they believe it is the only way to teach children how to behave.
Some people argue that using physical punishment is a good idea because they have experienced the same thing in the past. It can also be because the parents are under a lot of stress, and so are more likely to “snap” and hit their children.
Consequences of Spanking and Corporal Punishment
Many people have negative views about spanking, and there are many reasons for this.
Some people consider this method of punishment as abusive. Others see it as inhumane.
Parents may hit their children with too much force. They may also not give their children enough time to recover from the pain caused by the spanking.
Here are some of the possible negative outcomes and effects of physical discipline:
1. Child Behavior Problems
One of the negative effects of physical punishment is that it can lead to behavioral issues in a child. Some experts believe that children who are spanked or given physical punishment tend to develop an aggressive behavior.
This could lead to problems in their school. Studies show that a child who receives corporal disciplinary tactics tend to display more aggression and hostility toward other children. They also are more likely to develop mental health issues and antisocial tendencies.
In addition, there is the possibility that this will lead to further anger management problems in the future.
By doling out corporal punishment, you teach your kids that violence can solve problems.
Once they see this form of violence as normal, that can snowball into bad behavior and lead to aggressive children.
2. Ruins the Parent-Child Relationship
Spanking can also damage the parent and child’s relationship.
When a child is punished physically, they feel anger, fear, and sadness. These feelings will lead to a lack of trust in the parents’ judgment or decision-making abilities.
This mistrust they feel can easily drive the child away from the parents. They will learn to avoid their parents and refuse to confide in them.
This is saddening for both parent and child, and it may also lead to many problems in life.
3. The Child is is More Likely to Abuse or be Abused in the Future
Another one of the negative effects of corporal punishment is that kids who received them can grow up to inflict it to others. They can also be someone who gets physically punished by others in the future.
This is likely because when the child has been physically punished since a young age, they are likely to normalize that violence.
This means that when other people are aggressive towards them, they might not see that as a problem because they are familiar with it.
What You Should Do, Instead
Regardless of the number, the fact remains that many parents do not use corporal punishment at all anymore. In fact, studies revealed that there are less parents today who participate in spanking.
Parents who choose not to spank may opt for less harsh parenting techniques. These include time-outs or verbal punishment instead of physical ones.
There are many positive parenting techniques that parents can turn to as an alternative to corporal punishment.
One such way is positive reinforcement. You can sit your child down when they’ve done something wrong and explain why they should not do it again.
They can also let the child explain why they did what they did. This will encourage the child to be more thoughtful of their actions in the future.
Another one of positive parenting techniques is by showing approval and rewarding positive behavior. This way, the child knows that when they do good, they’ll receive nice things, and will therefore avoid bad behaviors.
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