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Corporal Punishment and the Damages of Spanking on Children

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Corporal Punishment and the Damages of Spanking on Children
CORPORAL PUNISHMENT AND THE DAMAGES OF SPANKING ON CHILDREN
You have probably heard the expression, "spare the rod, and spoil the child." Do you agree with it? Perhaps you were spanked as a kid. Was it appropriate? Some people see spanking as an outdated method of punishment or even child abuse, while others view a swat on the bottom as a parent 's prerogative. People differ a lot on their views when it comes to administering corporal punishment on children. While some view it as being barbaric, some consider those who spare the rod and spoil the child to be sloppy in their tutorage of children. The basis for taking an exemption to the administration of corporal punishment on children might stem from legal, educational, medical, communal and even economic reasons. Where do we draw the line when it comes to disciplining our children?
When considering if the administration of corporal punishment is good or wrong, some questions have to be initially answered. What can be referred to as corporal punishment? What precipitates corporal punishment? What effects can corporal punishment accomplished? Is the practice healthy in all and any ramifications? Are there noticeable differences in the lives of adults that were/were not subjected to corporal punishments? Based on these, should the practice be discouraged or continued? If these questions are successfully answered without bias or prejudice, the issue of if or if not corporal punishment administration on children will be laid to rest.
Corporal punishment is the intentional infliction of pain on the human body for purposes of punishment or controlling behavior. It includes slapping, spanking, and forcing to stand for long periods of time; spanking involves hitting with the palm of the hand. Children often undergo some form of corporal punishment in response to punishment for flouting of rules, regulations or norms, failing grades, exhibition of unwholesome traits and so on. Quite agreeably, corporal punishments



References: American Academy of Pediatrics. (1998). Guidance for effective discipline. Pediatrics, 101, 723–728. Day, D. E., & Roberts, M. W. (1983). An analysis of the physical punishment component of a parent-training program. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 11, 141–152. Gershoff, E. T. (2002). Corporal Punishments by parents and Associated Child Behaviors and Experiences: A Meta-Analytic and Theoretical Review. The American Psychological Association. Psychological Bulletin, Vol. 128, No. 4, 539-579. Gershoff, E. T & Bitensky, S. H. (2007). The Case against the Corporal Punishment of Children: Converging Evidence from Social Science Research and International Human Rights Law and Implications for U.S. Public Policy. The American Psychological Association. Psychological, Public Policy and Law. Vol. 13, No. 4, 231-272. Lopez, N. L., Bonenberger, J. L., & Schneider, H. G. (2001). Parental disciplinary history, current levels of empathy, and moral reasoning in young adults. North American Journal of Psychology, 3, 193–204. Lytton, H. (1997). Physical punishment is a problem, whether conduct disorder is endogenous or not. Psychological Inquiry, 8, 211–214. McCord, J. (1997). On discipline. Psychological Inquiry, 8, 215–217. Roberts, M. W., & Powers, S. W. (1990). Adjusting chair timeout enforcement procedures for oppositional children. Behavior Therapy, 21, 257–271. Straus, M. A. (1994a). Beating the devil out of them: Corporal punishment in American families. New York: Lexington Books.

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