Should spanking children be considered right or wrong?
Spanking is one of the most controversial discipline methods. There’s an estimate widely quoted by researchers that more than 90 percent of parents spank their children. There’s a highly debate whether spanking children is right or wrong. One side believes that spanking children is right, the other side believes its wrong, and in the middle believe that it all depends on the circumstance. Spanking to discipline a child is acceptable if an explanation is given to the child, if it does not physically or psychologically scar them, and because it promotes respect and responsibility.
Punishment interferes with the bond between parent and child, as it is not human nature to feel loving toward someone who hurts us. The true spirit of cooperation which every parent desires can arise only through a strong bond based on mutual feelings of love and respect. Punishment, even when it appears to work, can produce only superficially good behavior based on fear, which can only take place until the child is old enough to resist. In contrast, cooperation based on respect will last permanently, bringing many years of mutual happiness as the child and parent grow older. (Hunt 2006) When it comes to spanking a child it has to be done by a loving parent. Just like they say, “actions have consequences”, there’s also the saying, “everything happens for a reason”. When parents feel frustrated and impatient with their child because they’re just simply being how a child is supposed to act which is to be curious, mischievous, and hyper. Some parents take their frustration out on their child by deciding to spank them. For this example, is not a good enough reason to punish a child. Let’s say a toddler becomes tall enough to reach the hot stove, before he/she does so it should be acceptable to hit the hand followed by an explanation to the child why you did that. The parent explains to the child that even though you spanked his/her hand it was so they can learn that it’s for their own good. Basically it’s better to have been hurt in a mild way than to have been hurt worse and end up burned by the hot stove. Children are like sponges that crave information and their #1 repetitive question will always be “why”? Children appreciate and respect their parents more because they have a strong communication with their parents and everything they tell their child comes with an explanation followed. Parents that respond to their children with the answer, “because I said so” sometimes screaming and cursing at the child only brings fear and hatred towards the parents. Most parents hit their children when they're angry, says psychologist Patricia Chamberlain, PhD, of the Oregon Social Learning Center in Eugene, Ore. In this irrational state, they often hit children harder than necessary and fail to adequately explain why the child is being punished (Murray 1996)
In 29 countries around the world, it is illegal for a parent, teacher, or anyone else to spank a child, and 113 countries prohibit corporal punishment in schools. Yet in all of North America, physical punishment by a parent, as long as it is not severe, is still seen by many as necessary discipline, and condoned, or sadly, even encouraged. (Hunt 2006) There’s a certain boundary to the definition of spanking. Spanking a child on their buttocks with a hand should be acceptable but to use other objects on any part of the body being hit or spanked should not cause bodily injury, to that extent it is considered “child abuse”. It inflicts psychological damage on children. Memories of childhood spankings contribute to low self-esteem, found Hyman and his student Barbara Barrish, PhD, in a survey of 205 college freshmen published this year. Severe beatings were most predictive of unhappiness, while infrequent, mild spankings were not as destructive. (Murray 1996) Spanking your child properly is not going to damage their self-esteem. It makes their character stronger instead of weak.
In today’s society you have children back talking to their parents, fighting in schools, even shooting up schools, skipping school, doing drugs, and it’s all because they don’t have respect for higher authority. . It also teaches them to submit to authority regardless of whether or not they agree. Spanking teaches a child to respect the parent. They become weary of going against the rules. Teaching them to live by the rules can set them in place. It is a parent’s duty to guide the child into making the right decisions and preparing them for the world to come. Children must be taught at a young age how to make good decisions. When you are aware of what is on the other side of making a poor decision, it is easier to exercise restraint. You want them to be accountable. Children have the option to obey or face the consequences, and they need to know consequences hurt. Just as your reward your child for the good, you must also acknowledge and address the bad. You want to set standards. Children must learn that what they do they must take responsibility towards it and spanking them helps them learn that. You want them to have self- control.
In conclusion, spanking to discipline a child is acceptable if an explanation is given to the child, if it does not physically or psychologically scar them, and because it promotes respect and responsibility. There are parents that against spanking but when they realize that time- outs or taking away privileges isn’t effective they will realize that a good swat on the buttocks will do the trick.
Citations:
Shepherd, Rupert. "Spanking Children Can Cause Mental Illness." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 2 Jul. 2012. Web. 9 May. 2014. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/247333
Murray, Bridget. Psychologist point out the futility and damage of corporal punishment: Research and study on corporal punishment. American Psychological Association Document, 1996. Printed
Lowe, Carla. Child Discipline Tips for Frustrated Mothers: Child discipline tips. Life Script Article, 2007. Published
Dawn, Ramsburg. The Debate over Spanking: ERIC Digest, Article May 97. Published
Spanking is one of the most controversial discipline methods. There’s an estimate widely quoted by researchers that more than 90 percent of parents spank their children. There’s a highly debate whether spanking children is right or wrong. One side believes that spanking children is right, the other side believes its wrong, and in the middle believe that it all depends on the circumstance. Spanking to discipline a child is acceptable if an explanation is given to the child, if it does not physically or psychologically scar them, and because it promotes respect and responsibility.
Punishment interferes with the bond between parent and child, as it is not human nature to feel loving toward someone who hurts us. The true spirit of cooperation which every parent desires can arise only through a strong bond based on mutual feelings of love and respect. Punishment, even when it appears to work, can produce only superficially good behavior based on fear, which can only take place until the child is old enough to resist. In contrast, cooperation based on respect will last permanently, bringing many years of mutual happiness as the child and parent grow older. (Hunt 2006) When it comes to spanking a child it has to be done by a loving parent. Just like they say, “actions have consequences”, there’s also the saying, “everything happens for a reason”. When parents feel frustrated and impatient with their child because they’re just simply being how a child is supposed to act which is to be curious, mischievous, and hyper. Some parents take their frustration out on their child by deciding to spank them. For this example, is not a good enough reason to punish a child. Let’s say a toddler becomes tall enough to reach the hot stove, before he/she does so it should be acceptable to hit the hand followed by an explanation to the child why you did that. The parent explains to the child that even though you spanked his/her hand it was so they can learn that it’s for their own good. Basically it’s better to have been hurt in a mild way than to have been hurt worse and end up burned by the hot stove. Children are like sponges that crave information and their #1 repetitive question will always be “why”? Children appreciate and respect their parents more because they have a strong communication with their parents and everything they tell their child comes with an explanation followed. Parents that respond to their children with the answer, “because I said so” sometimes screaming and cursing at the child only brings fear and hatred towards the parents. Most parents hit their children when they're angry, says psychologist Patricia Chamberlain, PhD, of the Oregon Social Learning Center in Eugene, Ore. In this irrational state, they often hit children harder than necessary and fail to adequately explain why the child is being punished (Murray 1996)
In 29 countries around the world, it is illegal for a parent, teacher, or anyone else to spank a child, and 113 countries prohibit corporal punishment in schools. Yet in all of North America, physical punishment by a parent, as long as it is not severe, is still seen by many as necessary discipline, and condoned, or sadly, even encouraged. (Hunt 2006) There’s a certain boundary to the definition of spanking. Spanking a child on their buttocks with a hand should be acceptable but to use other objects on any part of the body being hit or spanked should not cause bodily injury, to that extent it is considered “child abuse”. It inflicts psychological damage on children. Memories of childhood spankings contribute to low self-esteem, found Hyman and his student Barbara Barrish, PhD, in a survey of 205 college freshmen published this year. Severe beatings were most predictive of unhappiness, while infrequent, mild spankings were not as destructive. (Murray 1996) Spanking your child properly is not going to damage their self-esteem. It makes their character stronger instead of weak.
In today’s society you have children back talking to their parents, fighting in schools, even shooting up schools, skipping school, doing drugs, and it’s all because they don’t have respect for higher authority. . It also teaches them to submit to authority regardless of whether or not they agree. Spanking teaches a child to respect the parent. They become weary of going against the rules. Teaching them to live by the rules can set them in place. It is a parent’s duty to guide the child into making the right decisions and preparing them for the world to come. Children must be taught at a young age how to make good decisions. When you are aware of what is on the other side of making a poor decision, it is easier to exercise restraint. You want them to be accountable. Children have the option to obey or face the consequences, and they need to know consequences hurt. Just as your reward your child for the good, you must also acknowledge and address the bad. You want to set standards. Children must learn that what they do they must take responsibility towards it and spanking them helps them learn that. You want them to have self- control.
In conclusion, spanking to discipline a child is acceptable if an explanation is given to the child, if it does not physically or psychologically scar them, and because it promotes respect and responsibility. There are parents that against spanking but when they realize that time- outs or taking away privileges isn’t effective they will realize that a good swat on the buttocks will do the trick.
Citations:
Shepherd, Rupert. "Spanking Children Can Cause Mental Illness." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 2 Jul. 2012. Web. 9 May. 2014. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/247333
Murray, Bridget. Psychologist point out the futility and damage of corporal punishment: Research and study on corporal punishment. American Psychological Association Document, 1996. Printed
Lowe, Carla. Child Discipline Tips for Frustrated Mothers: Child discipline tips. Life Script Article, 2007. Published
Dawn, Ramsburg. The Debate over Spanking: ERIC Digest, Article May 97. Published