Parents have a duty to discipline their children. When children do something wrong, their parents should discipline them to teach a lesson.
One of the most common manifestations of discipline is physical punishment, otherwise known as corporal punishment. Corporal punishment can refer to a variety of actions, from slapping, spanking, and even prolonged periods in a fixed position. However, this form of punishment has raised questions regarding effectiveness and ethics. How effective is corporal punishment? What are its effects? Is it morally just to administer such punishment on a child?
In schools across the United States, corporal punishment is still considered a valid form of punishment in 19 states. Corporal punishment is more prevalent in states in the South, such as Alabama, Arkansas, and Mississippi (National Institute of Health). In a second study published by the National Institute of Health, researchers surveyed a group of parents bringing in their children to a clinic, asking about their position on corporal punishment. Based on this survey, 51% of these parents showed support for forms of corporal punishment, 37% disagreed, and the rest took no clear position. Dovetailing this finding, Columbia University’s Demographic and Health Surveys show that in 2015, nearly 40% of children under the age of five were exposed to some form of physical punishment in their lives. Surveys from the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) show that hundreds of millions of 2-to-4 year olds still experience corporal punishment globally. Corporal punishment remains a common choice for parents as a form of discipline in homes, with almost one third of U.S parents reporting spanking their children weekly.
Clearly, corporal punishment is common—but is it also effective? Psychologist Elizabeth Thompson Gershoff of the National Center for Children in Poverty at Columbia University conducted a meta-analysis in which over the course of 62 years, she attempted to unveil the consequences of corporal punishment. In her study, Gershoff discovered that for most cases, corporal punishment was linked to continuous negative behavior in kids and did not seem to have an overwhelmingly positive result. However, it was also highlighted in her study that there did seem to be an immediate, temporary obedience from the children after they received the punishment, though this did not last. Gershoff finds that the severity and how often a child is punished plays a significant factor in determining its outcome, where the more often and harder the punishment, the more likely an aggressive behavior begins to show. This underscores how subjective corporal punishment can be, with many different variables being at play to determine the outcome of punishment inflicted on children. Ultimately, however, Gershoff’s studies have found that there is a correlation between corporal punishment and negative behaviors among children and advises parents to avoid administering such discipline.
Children need to understand boundaries and I think that children need to understand that there should be punishments… in direct proportion to the improper behavior that they might demonstrate.
Conversely, many parents still argue that corporal punishment is necessary and an effective way to discipline children. For instance, an article published by Britannica argued that corporal punishment is a valid form of punishment when used in moderation. The article explained how more moderate punishments, such as a time-out, would not be effective on more severe behavior. A sharper form of punishment, such as corporal punishment, would overall yield better results in teaching children a lesson when considering certain forms of behavior. Moreover, the same article argued that the physical consequence better establishes boundaries and forces children to continue to behave in the future. President and Dean of the Charles H. Mason Theological Seminary Harold Bennet mentions that “children need to understand boundaries and I think that children need to understand that there should be punishments… in direct proportion to the improper behavior that they might demonstrate.” Overall, the debate surrounding corporal punishment has still remained complex and polarizing. It is crucial for parents, educators, and policymakers to weigh both sides of the debate and strive to create an environment for children to learn, grow, and develop.
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