When it comes to disciplining children, parents can have opposing views on how to rear their kids. Some are more tolerable while others still believe in corporal punishment as a way to correct the maladaptive behaviors of their children. This style of discipline was prevalent decades ago in most schools until it stopped being practiced in the 1970s. In other countries, this is still a normal thing but in the United States, this remains to be a debatable issue with laws varying from state to state. Here are some of the views of supporters and critics of corporal punishment.
List of Pros of Corporal Punishment
1. Effective If Done Properly
According to people who use this style of correcting the behavior of their kids, corporal punishment is a form of negative reinforcement and if done correctly and with the right parameters, this will be effective to instill discipline in the minds of the children.
2. Short Duration
Advocates for corporal management posit that this is an act that does not require a long period of time to be carried out. That said, the parent and the child can still have more time to attend to other more important matters. Conversely, if the parent needs time to talk to the child after the punishment, this will not be a problem since the disciplinary action will be short.
3. Not Costly
People who believe corporal punishment is effective say that this is the cheapest way to discipline a misbehaving child because this does not require a visit to a therapist and is free. As opposed to sending kids to boot camps to learn about discipline, corporal punishment can be done at home and can be as effective when it comes to teaching about good behavior and discipline.
List of Cons of Corporal Punishment
1. Form of Child Abuse
Critics of this style of discipline say that hitting can never be the answer and some parents become abusive to their children. There are parents who punish their kids, as young as two to three years old, by hitting them and even scalding them. Corporal punishment entails physical discipline which can sometimes go overboard.
2. Lowers Self-Esteem
Children who are spanked or hit by parents as a disciplinary action are sometimes traumatized with these acts and if these happen on a regular basis, some children tend to lose their self-esteem thinking that they are not good people. Conversely, the parent who hits his or her kid might not also like the act but since this is something that he or she has been brought up with, the act still has to push through and as a result, makes the parent think he or she is a failure as a parent.
3. Not Always Effective
While there are those who grow up to become responsible and disciplined adults as a result of corporal punishment, there are kids that are not affected with it. Worse, there will be a possibility that they, too, will be using corporal punishment when they become parents.
Corporal punishment might work for some and will not be effective to others. Whether it is right or wrong remains to be a contentious topic. With the existing laws on corporal punishment, there will be check and balance, at least.
Brandon Miller has a B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin. He is a seasoned writer who has written over one hundred articles, which have been read by over 500,000 people. If you have any comments or concerns about this blog post, then please contact the Green Garage team here.