Corporal Punishment of Children

So what is corporal punishment? Corporal punishment as related to children is "punishment administered by an adult (as a parent or a teacher) to the body of a child ranging in severity from a slap to a spanking" (Merriam). In other words, corporal punishment is the use of force to punish a child for a transgression. Corporal punishment is anything from slapping or spanking to cold showers to full on abuse. Although many parents use one or more types of corporal punishment, most don't know anything about the consequences; In fact, most only do it because that's the way they were raised. Despite these views and practices being antiquated, corporal punishment is still used often as a disciplinary form. Not only is corporal punishment a terrible way to punish children, it also has ill-effects later in life, the least of which is that those that have corporal punishment used on them are more likely to then use corporal punishment on their children, continuing the circle.  So what are the statistics on corporal punishment, what is included in corporal punishment, what are the effects on children now and later in life, and what are the alternatives to using corporal punishment as a form of discipline? 

 
How many children actually experience corporal punishment as a form of discipline anyways? Let’s talk about schools first. "Nineteen states have laws permitting corporal punishment in schools. In the 2005-2006 school year, 223,190 school children in the U.S. were subjected to physical punishment." (NCACPS). Although this number is shrinking, and has been every year, this trend still needs to stop. Also, "studies show significantly more fatal school shootings took place in states that allow corporal punishment in schools." (NCACPS 2). Ok, so some schools are using the paddle, but that doesn't mean parents are too right? Wrong. The National Survey of Early Childhood Health in 2004 shows "Six percent of parents surveyed indicated they ever spanked their children ages four to nine months old. Twenty-nine percent spanked their children ten to eighteen months old, and 64% spanked their children who were nineteen to thirty-five months old. Frequent spankings were also administered by some parents (11%) of children ten to eighteen months old and nineteen to thirty-five months old (26%).” (Net industries). SO obviously this issue is extremely prevalent, I mean “more than a third (35%) of parents used corporal punishment on their infants, reaching a peak of 94% for parents of children who were three to four years old.” (Net industries) This means that it is highly probable that a child will experience some type of corporal punishment before they reach age five. SO now that it’s been established that most children will experience corporal punishment before age five, and that it is a prevalent issue, what is considered corporal punishment?

When you hear “corporal punishment” the first thing most people think of is spanking. However, there are many other actions included in this term. The most obvious ones are spanking, hitting, slapping, flicking, or any other kind of negative physical contact of any form to any part of a child’s body. However, there are other types of corporal punishment. These include shaming or ridiculing them.This kind of punishment is also considered corporal punishment by many experts, as well as myself.

Effects of using corporal punishment on children can be immediate, or delayed. Let’s start with immediate effects.  First off, according to Eric P. Slade and Lawrence S. Wissow “compared with children who were never spanked, white non-Hispanic children who were frequently spanked (five times a week) before age two were four times more likely to have behavioral problems by the time they started school.” They determined this by conducting a survey that was original to its time called: "Spanking in Early Childhood and Later Behavior Problems: A Prospective Study of Infants and Young Toddlers.”  Also from the NASW or the National association of social workers “Research has demonstrated a link between physical punishment and several negative developmental outcomes for children: physical injury, increased aggression, antisocial behavior, poorer adult adjustment, and greater tolerance of violence.” (NASW) there’s also the statement from Dr. Hyman who has done extensive research on this subject and has 30 years of clinical experience. He has publically come out with many statements against the use of corporal punishment, as well as its effects on children. He states “While the prospankers interpret the lack of research on the harmful effects of spanking with preschoolers as proof that it is OK, I disagree and maintain that there is no reason to ever hit a child.” He goes on and says much more then I can include here, but can be summed up to: corporal punishment of any kind, even normal spankings, do not teach the child, they do not help, but they do cause problems such as violence issues, behavioral issues, and self esteem issues at the least. Those are just the problems that happen immediately. Also punishing your child by spanking their bottom, considered an erogenous areas, it could cause them to associate pleasure with pain. Many more issues can be hidden away for years, and although I won’t quote everything I’ve found, I’ll include the links in my sources cited. Corporal punishment can lead not only to violence issues later in life, but also sexual issues. “One stat: the 25 percent of university students who ranked highest on a corporal punishment scale insisted on sex without a condom, compared with the 12.5 percent of university students who scored lowest on the scale. Another: 75 percent of college students who'd been spanked a lot said they were sexually aroused by masochistic sex, compared with 40 percent of students who were never spanked.” (The Daily Beast) The scary part of this is the experts that conducted this study were unsurprised with the results. There are many other effects later in life as well. These include problems like depression (sage journals), Aggression (livestrong), higher tendency to use physical abuse (livestrong), impaired cognitive development (livestong), trust issues (CNN), and much, much more. All in all, corporal punishment is an ineffective means of punishment, so what are the alternatives?

 
When considering how to effectively discipline your children you have to consider things like “the parent–child relationship, reinforcement of desired behaviors, and consequences for negative behaviors.”(Pediatrics)  And also realize that “Corporal punishment is of limited effectiveness and has potentially deleterious side effects.” (Pediatrics). To begin with, as infants, the most effective type of discipline is verbal, “a firm no helps prepare the infant for later use of reasoning.” (Pediatrics) Although the verbal discipline won’t regulate the infants behavior, using a “No” right before physically stopping the child will teach them what “No” means and also no to do that activity. As the child gets older, one effective form of discipline is Positive Reinforcement. This is the opposite of the norm of repressing bad behavior. Instead you do things like giving them more attention, softer voice, more caresses, etc. when they perform a desired action. For example, if a toddler is screaming in a store, you don’t give them the attention they are looking for by doing that until they take a breath, and as soon as they are quite, you ravish attention upon them. This shows them that they get the attention they want when they are quiet, instead of screaming. This also includes being flexible, particularly with older children and adolescents, through listening and negotiation to reduce fewer episodes of child noncompliance with parental expectations. Involving the child in decision-making has been associated with long-term enhancement in moral judgment (Pediatrics). If the actions seems to still be occurring, you can reduce and eliminate the undesirable behavior by doing several things.  The first thing is make sure that the parent and child are both clear on what the undesirable behavior is, and what the consequence is should it continue to occur. (Pediatrics) The next step is to provide “a strong and immediate initial consequence when the targeted behavior first occurs.” (Pediatrics) This makes sure that the child knows exactly what she/he is being punished for. Also, being consistent with the punishment is important as well. These punishments are most effective if they are consequences such as “time-out,” loss of privileges or a certain toy for a set period of time, or non violent verbal reprimands. Once the child knows what they have done wrong, it’s best to deliver “instruction and correction calmly and with empathy.” (Pediatrics) Doing all these things will help your child from a very young age, and won’t cause the issues that corporal punishment does.

 In conclusion, after seeing the statics on corporal punishment, what’s included in corporal punishment, what are the effects now and later on of corporal punishment on children, and what the alternatives are, I feel safe in concluding that I’ve armed you with the information, as well as other sources to make the decision for yourself not to participate in corporal punishment of children. It’s a degrading, medieval form of discipline that needs to be eradicated now. 

 Sources Cited:

• (CNN) http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/9708/14/nfm.spanking/
• (Dr. Hyman) http://www.nospank.net/hyman2.htm
• (Livestrong) http://www.livestrong.com/article/213859-long-term-effects-of-physical-punishment-on-a-child/
• (NASW) http://www.socialworkers.org/resources/abstracts/abstracts/physical.asp
• (NCACPS) http://www.stophitting.com/index.php?page=statesbanning
• (NCACPS 2) http://www.stophitting.com/index.php?page=factsvsopinions
• (Merriam) http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/corporal%20punishment
• (Net industries) http://www.libraryindex.com/pages/1401/Causes-Effects-Child-Abuse-CORPORAL-PUNISHMENT.html
• (Pediatrics) http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/101/4/723.full
• (Sage Journals) http://jfi.sagepub.com/content/25/6/761.abstract
• (The Daily Beast) http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2008/02/27/spare-the-rod.html

Child Discipline

                                                                     Child Discipline

                                                "Info to understand"

The only way to decipher between abuse and punishment is to be educated in what child abuse is. Both legally and what can be damaging to a child. I do not condone any Abuse, and honestly I think abusive parents are not punished as they should be.ABUSE IS WRONG!If you see or hear of any abuse to a child,baby,spouse,stranger anyone! report it immediately to the authority's

the Californian laws say that what constitutes as abuse is
  "Penal Code sections 11165.1 through 11165.6 for definitions.)
Physical injury • Willful harming/endangerment•Mental/emotional suffering • Unlawful corporal punishment/injury•Sexual (abuse, assault, and exploitation) • Death•Severe neglect"

 Below there is a chart showing percentage in 2005 of abuse cases and what type of abuse.
2005

Neglect------------62.8%

Physical------------16.6%

Sexual--------------9.3%

Psychological-------7.1%

Medical Neglect----2.0%

Other--------------14.3%

If you know of  any cases of abuse CONTACT SOMEONE HERE

____________________________________________________________________________________

Child Discipline

 By:Evan K Williams

  
     When your little bundle of joy first opens its eyes you will see true innocence. When that little bundle Crawls for the first time, you will grab a camera, and when it takes its first steps and says its first word, you will melt. But what do you do, the first time it dose something dangerous, disrespectful, or dishonest? do you let it go? everyone makes mistakes right? why hold it against them? Young children don't have a feel for right and wrong, good and bad, or safe and dangerous. How can you teach a child? Sometimes kind words and suggestive leading is not enough. When you tell your kid no to something dangerous, and they deliberately disobey its time for more assertive actions.But there are appropriate punishments for actions, and appropriate  behavior for punishing.

   Punishing your child does not make you a bad parent, it's good for the child to learn right from wrong. Punishments don't have to be, AND shouldn't be to severe. These teaching punishments can include, time out (being locked in a room, going to a corner, or sitting on a step for a set amount of time), being sent to bed without dessert, compromise (giving the child what they want within your limits or with conditions), taking an item or privilege away, even spanking (a light pat on the bottom or hand to let a child know not to do something only after you have said "no").  Punishments have always been around and (hopefully) always will be.Young children may cry or be upset when punished, but if a parent is respectful and loving even with the punishments, the child will grow up to be thankful. Therefore, I keep saying to punish with respect, how is that possible?

    A child mind is very susceptible to everything around them, so you need to show you still love your child and care for them when you punish them. One way to make sure you don't go over the line is to remember not to jump to a harsh punishment, and NEVER punish out of anger or embarrassment. So know what is a suitable punishment for each action.

-Verbal
     Believe it or not your child loves you and looks up to you. If you say "no" assertively, they will usually listen. However, sometimes you may need to point out why you say no before they listen. you should never under any circumstance Shout in anger or insult your child. when you are assertive you may raise your voice level and change your tone only to get there attention and let them know not to continue with there action. Insults will have a long lasting effects on there self esteem, social skills and even emotional comprehension.

-Taking Items or privileges
    When a verbal warning dose not work sometimes you have to take action,this is in a way "grounding" your child.For instance if the child is not sharing a toy, you assertively tell them that if they do not share  you will take the toy. and if they don't listen you fallow throe and take the toy away. same goes for privileges, this will show the child for one will respect and know you have control, and show that negative actions will result in loss of  something they want. This will keep them from continuing in bad/harmful actions.

-Compromise
     When you have taken the toy or privilege away and the child is upset, screening, frantic, come up with a compromise. Making a deal with the child such as, "When you learn to share you will get the toy back, or When you stop yelling you can go back outside and play" this will show the child to reason and that if they lesson and are respectful good things will happen.

-Spanking
   But when a Child continues in deliberate disobedience, sometimes a small amount of force to show them wen there wrong is needed. DO NOT leave bruises just a small swat on the bottom will get there attention, they will cry even if they aren't hurt, its a reflex. Don't feel bad and don't get angry its only enough force to get there attention. a swat on the butt when they are continuing bad behavior or doing something dangerous. a swat on the but wen they try to run away from you, or walk into the street, or a swat on the hand wen they reach for a knife or a wall socket. they will associate the small amount of pain with that action and learn not to continue that action, this will prevent grater pain or even fatal situations



   So punishments dont have to be extreem they just need to be a way to show the child that somthing is dangerous, rood, or bad. dont think your a bad parent when a child crys cause u say no, i know from experience they will thank you later, i know i thanked my parents and they thanked there parents, and i believe my kids will thank me

http://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/family/2701-new-study-finds-spanking-is-good-for-kids

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2008/09/research-sugges.html

http://www.nspcc.org.uk/Inform/research/statistics/physical_punishment_statistics_wda48737.html

Corporal Punishment for children

Corporal punishment, or the inflicting of physical pain onto another person because of some offence committed, of children is a very touchy issue. Many believe that while it may make a child fear you when they are little, it will have no lasting effects. However, ever forthcoming studies show that physical punishment on children can result in problems lasting throughout the teen and adult life. Physical punishment is not only dangerous for a variety of reasons but also ineffective.

            The use of corporal punishment in any form, from spanking to using the belt, can teach children things they shouldn’t learn. If a parent uses spanking as a form of punishment, kids learn that resorting to physical methods is the way to solve problems. “Children who are physically punished are more likely to grow up approving of it and using it to settle interpersonal conflicts. Even children who have experienced ‘normal’ spankings are almost three times as likely to seriously assault a sibling, compared to children who were not physically disciplined.” That quote is from Dr. Hyman, who made that statement as part of his summary of his 30 years of experience and studying. However, can the non-use of corporal punishment decrease misbehavior? Yes, Dr. Hyman says “Studies demonstrate that eliminating corporal punishment does not increase misbehavior in home or school. Systematic use of positive alternatives, however, has been shown to decrease misbehavior significantly.”

Corporal punishment can also cause feelings of despair, confusion, anxiety, fear, and resentment. When a child is told that he/she is going to be spanked, they become extremely anxious, and even more so when it happens, so that when a parent explains why the child got spanked they are too distressed to take it in. Because of this initial anxiety, the child will experience confusion and later resentment at their parent figure. Repeated spanking can also cause fear in children, leaving them with no one to go to because they have an instilled fear of their parent figures. If a young child is repeatedly spanked, the child could be led into desperation because they don’t know what they’ve done wrong.

 

 Developmental issues can also occur with the use of physical punishment. A child may associate pain and sexual pleasure due to spanking because the butt is an erogenous zone. There may be social blocks to anyone who resembles a parent or guardian due to an instilled fear. There have been cases where children who were spanked insisted on unsafe sex habits.

Physical punishment not only causes issues, but is also ineffective. Yes, it may work “at the moment,” but punishment in a physical form becomes less and less effective with repeated use and with age. So in other words, physical punishment is less effective with more use. Not only does it become less effective, but it is ineffective in the first place. When a child is punished, they are too emotionally distressed to understand why they were punished. Therefore, physical punishment makes kids fear parents/guardians; it does not teach them what was wrong in the first place.

 

In conclusion, corporal punishment is not an acceptable form of discipline. It can instill fear in a child’s mind and cause them developmental problems due to that fear; it can teach children that violence is the best way to solve problems, and it is an ineffective form of punishment. With so many other way to teach kids and to discipline them, there is no excusable reason to ever lay a hand on a child in anger or distress. Corporal punishment is inexcusable and needs to be replaced with other forms of parenting.

Sources cited

Information

http://www.newsweek.com/2008/02/27/spare-the-rod.html

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1926222,00.html

http://www.socialworkers.org/resources/abstracts/abstracts/physical.asp

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1983895,00.html

http://www.child-central.com/does-spanking-my-child-affects-him-when-he-grows-up.html

http://www.nospank.net/hyman2.htm

http://www.naturalchild.org/jan_hunt/tenreasons.html

http://www.ur.umich.edu/0809/Mar30_09/07.php

Pictures

http://abpworld.wordpress.com/2010/09/23/international-parental-child-abduction-a-silent-epidemic-of-kidnapping/

http://punishment.redwebmaster.com.ar/description-of-corporal-punishment.html

http://www.philosophyblog.com.au/arguments-against-corporal-punishment/