Corporal Punishment

Corporal punishment is a very complex and controversial topic. It’s hard to decide what is right and what is wrong when discussing how to discipline children. For those of you who are not familiar with the term corporal punishment it is the use of physical force with the intention of causing a child to experience pain, but not injury, for the purpose of correction or control of the child’s behavior. I read a lot of definitions, but I think Murray Straus summed it up the best with that definition. Corporal punishment is sometimes called pking.

The more common types of corporal punishment are pking, grabbing or shoving, and hitting a child with objects such as a hair brush, belt, or paddle (Straus, 4-5). In the following paragraphs such things as who uses corporal punishment, the short long term effects of corporal, and things to do instead of using corporal punishment will be discussed. To my surprise many people do in fact use corporal punishment. Many people believe that when their child”s behavior gets out of control that the only way to restore order is to paddle the ones that are causing problems.

In the Gallup Monthly Poll of 1000 randomly selected American parents, “Over half of the parents said they administered minor physical punishment during the past year, while 22 percent said they use severe physical punishment. “(Daro 519). This physical punishment does not work as effectively as other types of punishment and strictly speaking is illegal. “It is much better to choose a punishment that will fit the action, for example if a child has a fight over the TV, take away TV privileges.

Corporal punishment is usually administered when the parent is being brash and hasn’t had time to cool down from the child’s misbehavior. ” (Maccoby 19). Recently the “No hitting-use words to express you feelings” method has been thought to resolve problems, but many people don’t believe it is effective and they result to other methods, such as corporal punishment. A study conducted by Gelles in 1989 found that 84 per cent of 1,470 adults agreed that “It is sometimes necessary to discipline a child with a hard pking. ” (20). What does this mean?

It means that there are a lot of people out there who are using corporal punishment and that might be causing psychological problems within their children and may not even recognize it (Gelles 23). If you were to talk to parents and children of earlier generations you wouldn’t believe the number of parents who pked their children. Most parents pk their children because they believe it was for their own good (Straus 3). Research up to 1985 shows that more than 90% of parents used corporal punishment on toddlers and more than half continued to use it during the early teen years.

Even this high figure represents a decrease from 99% in the 1950s and 97% in 1975. There have been further decreases since 1985, but almost all children continue to experience corporal punishment (White 12). These high prevalence rates and the high rates of approval of pking may be interpreted as an indication that parents pk with little thought of possible side effects, such as later aggression and are learning to control this as time goes on (Daro 528). Talking with my parents and grandparents they said children back then were different.

They respected their parents and followed directions. So why the change? Issues such as society, the increase in violence on TV, and the number of hours people spend watching TV may be leading factors in the change in children”s behavior. Now a day, there are children who enjoy being pked because even though it was painful, it is quick and they didn’t have to do any extra chores (Chmelynski 51). Out of the seven or eight articles I read there was only one that mentioned corporal punishment as a positive reinforcement. Most of the articles stated that it was either abuse or ineffective.

Stuart Tolman, the Murtaugh school board chairman in Illonois, states that “Corporal punishment is effective”. He adopted corporal punishment to answer parent”s request of better discipline. He thinks, “suspensions just give kids a holiday. ” He also said since they have been using corporal punishment there has been no suspensions that year (Chmelynski 51). Just because one out of seven or eight articles says that corporal punishment does work, does that mean it really does work? Of course not. Joy Cain states, “Abusing children directly affects their performance in school. “(101).

According to a study published in Social Work Research, students who are abused consistently do worse on “CAT standardized tests, grade point averages, proportion who dropped out when eligible, mean annual absences, proportion of possible behavior problems and retention, and proportion with delinquency complaints” (Eron 172). Spanking a child will not stop them from doing the same thing later in life.

According to research conducted, “Children who have been slapped or hit are usually so overwhelmed with anger and hurt feelings that they cannot remember what they were punished for. According to Susan Smith, the lesson that is being taught to a child that is being hit is that hitting is a solution to solving problems(1). Believe it or not there are short term and long term effects to corporal punishment. Obviously the short-term effect would be the stopping of the inappropriate behavior, but the long-term effect might not be so obvious. To determine definite results of long-term effects, many studies have to be conducted and many conclusions have to be drawn. Unfortunately, no types of studies have been done.

The reason for this is that there would have to be an experimental group that would have to use corporal punishment and since many social scientists believe that harm will result in such studies, they don’t want to conduct them. Even though there have been no studies reported, there have been some theories that have been supported by some research. These findings show that the more corporal punishment, the higher the rate of undesirable behaviors or thought later in life, such things as delinquency, approval of violence, alienation, depression, and lower earnings (Straus 196).

Straus also believes that victims of corporal punishment have an increased chance of worse behavior and other problems, including impaired learning and as mentioned before, delinquency; and later in life, depression, child abuse, wife beating, and other crimes” (Straus 4). Although cultural norms supporting corporal punishment of children may be changing, there is abundant evidence that these norms are deeply rooted and pervasive (Yarrow 21). One of the most fundamental ways in which cultural norms supporting corporal punishment are expressed is in the Criminal law on assault.

In every state of the U. S. hitting a child for purposes of correction or control is exempt from the crime of assault, usually with the proviso that it is limited to “reasonable force. ” In practice, that includes the right to hit with belts and paddles, provided the child is not injured (Straus 12). In the 1960s every state in the United States passed legislation designed to protect children from physical abuse and to provide services for abused children.

Ironically, in order to garner sufficient votes to pass the child abuse laws, it was typically necessary to include a provision declaring that parents continued to have the right to use corporal punishment. As a result, legislation intended to protect children from physical abuse contained provisions that further legitimated a practice that increases the risk of physical abuse (Giles 171). When reading about corporal punishment it is critical to know that it is an ethic and moral question to as if corporal punishment is right or wrong.

It all comes down to what you believe in. It would be nice if everyone got along and didn’t hit one another, but in reality everyone is not like that. Something can be done though to prevent the use of corporal punishment. Other types of discipline, without raising a hand to a child, can be taught and used by many parents. It may seem a lot easier to pk and be done, but here are some suggestions that are being used today: 1. Take a deep breath and remember you are the adult. 2. Count to twenty while you pressing your lips together tightly. 3.

Go outside or take a walk. Get yourself away from the situation and clear your head (Smith 2). 4. Keep expectations in line with the child’s age. 5. Think ahead, and anticipate problems and ways of avoiding them. 6. Offer choices. Don’t bark commands. 7. Be consistent. 8. Follow through with consequence, not punishments. (Cain 101). Other steps can be taken to prevent the use of corporal punishment on children. Parents can create a home where it’s easier for a child to be well behaved and productive, and where they are less tempted to resort to pking (Larzelere 30).

They can be clear that they are the parents who ultimately set the limits and enforce the rules. One step to doing this would be to teach children how to talk about their feelings, rather than act them out in misbehavior. Next, parents should try to anticipate stressful situations and develop ways of handling them before the child’s behavior gets out of control. As long as parents monitor their own levels of anger and are aware of what may trigger angry responses, they can be patient and in control.

Last, parents have to be consistent in their parenting, so that all confusion can be stopped between what punishments will be like, so that children can know what to expect if they disobey their parents (White 14). Spanking and other forms of physical punishment teach children that it is all right to hit people who are smaller and weaker. Physical punishment causes parents to lose an opportunity to teach children alternative behaviors, which are socially acceptable. Its use sometimes leads to physical abuse and it contributes to the cycle of child abuse.

Other means of discipline are available to parents including time-out, rule setting, and consequences for misbehavior, explaining and reasoning and praise for good behavior. “Corporal punishment may provide immediate results, but it doesn’t teach self-discipline. It teaches that aggression is the way to solve problems and that big people can bully little people” (Cain 121). Corporal punishment is wrong. It may cause problems in the future for the child being hit, and it is not fair to the child. With so many other choices, corporal punishment should be laid to rest.

Discipline:

Can corporal punishment help discipline children?

Pro Corporal punishment is a good tool for disciplining unruly children Walter Williams. “Making a Case for Corporal Punishment”. Bnet. Sept 13, 1999: “Regardless of what the experts preached, the undeniable fact is the ‘uncivilized’ practice of whipping children produced more civilized young people. Youngsters didn’t direct foul language to, or use it in the presence of, teachers and other adults. In that ‘uncivilized’ era, assaulting a teacher or adult never would have crossed our minds.

Today, foul language and assaults against teachers are routine in many schools. For some kinds of criminal behavior, I think we’d benefit from having punishment along the lines of Singapore’s caning as a part of our judicial system. ” Corporal punishment can ethically help save a child’s future Walter Williams. “Making a Case for Corporal Punishment”. Bnet. Sept 13, 1999: “Let’s think about cruelty. Today, it’s not uncommon for young criminals to be arrested, counseled and released to the custody of a parent 20 or 30 times before they spend one night in jail.

Such a person is a very good candidate for later serving a long prison sentence or, worse, facing the death penalty. If you interviewed such a person and asked: “Thinking back to when you started your life of crime, would you have preferred a punishment, such as caning, that might have set you straight or be where you are today? ” I’d bet my retirement money that he’d say he wished someone had caned some sense into him. That being the case, which is more cruel: caning or allowing such a person to become a criminal? Corporal punishment can make a valuable example of a student Oscar Goodman: “I also believe in a little bit of corporal punishment going back to the days of yore, where examples have to be shown. “General statements in support of corporal punishment Mark Benedict, Christian Family Foundations: “I also believe the scriptural reference to the ‘rod’ best corresponds to a switch or perhaps a flexible paddle. ” Con It is dubious that corporal punishment helps discipline children.

Even the power of physical punishment to teach a child the difference between right and wrong is dubious; a young child may learn that the adult is displeased, but not why. Spanking will cause a state of extreme distress and confusion which makes it less likely they will analyse their behaviour with clarity. In older children disciplined at school, a physical punishment is likely to provoke resentment and further misbehaviour. Corporal punishment can lower a child’s IQ “Child Corporal Punishment: Spanking. The anti-pking position”.

Religious tolerance: “Spanking lowers a child’s IQ: A study at the University of New Hampshire, released in 1998-JUL, found that pking children apparently slows down their intellectual development. A study of 960 children found an average 4 point reduction in IQ among students, from and average IQ of 102 (above average) for children who are not pked, to an average IQ 98 (below average) for who are. A reduction of 4 points is enough to have a significant negative functional effect on the students.

More information

” Corporal punishment hampers children’s creativity Ms.

Dawn Walker, executive director of the Canadian Institute of Child Health commented: “We know that children who are under the threat of violence or aggression develop a fight-or-flight response system that has an impact on creativity and imagination, both of which could influence their IQ… Children need discipline but not hitting. ” Corporal punishment creates anti-social behavior. Andrew Grogan-Kaylor, University of Michigan. “Even minimal amounts of pking can lead to an increased likelihood in antisocial behavior by children. ” Corporal punishment fosters violence in society.

General statements against corporal punishment Psychologist H. Stephen Glenn said “Corporal punishment is the least effective method [of discipline]. Punishment reinforces a failure identity. It reinforces rebellion, resistance, revenge and resentment. And, what people who pk children will learn is that it teaches more about you than it does about them that the whole goal is to crush the child. It’s not dignified, and it’s not respectful. “

Physical damage:

Can corporal punishment cause physical damage?

Pro Physical injuries only occur in abusive corporal punishment. Serious physical injuries only occur where disciplined, strategic corporal punishment becomes child abuse. There is a strict line between the two (see above) and to ignore it is deliberately misleading. Corporal punishment does not foster violent tendencies. Con Corporal punishment can cause serious physical damage The actual physical damage inflicted via corporal punishment on children can be horrifying.

Examples can be found of students needing treatment for broken arms, nerve and muscle damage, and cerebral haemorrhage. Spanking of the buttocks can cause damage to the sciatic nerve and therefore the leg to which it leads.

Abuse:

Does corporal punish invite abuse?

 Pro Abuses do not demonstrate corporal punishment is inherently wrong While it is true that corporal punishment can be abused, this does not demonstrate that it is always abused, or that it is inherently abusive.

If it is used abusively, than measures should be taken to limit such abuse, instead of eliminating the practice altogether, which would be an over-reaction. There is a difference between corporal punishment and child abuse. Corporal punishment is designed to punish specific acts of significant misbehavior and delinquency. It is not a wanton and unreasonable act of violence. Child abuse, on the contrary, is the unjustified and unreasoned beating of children. The act of child-abuse is not meant to punish a child, but is inflicted without restraint or concern for the general welfare of a child.

The intention of corporal punishment, on the contrary, is meant to instill a level of discipline in a child that is necessary to their future. It is in the child’s best interest, whereas child-abuse is clearly not. Not clear whether corporal punishment increases abuse David Benatar. “Corporal Punishment Social Theory and Practice”. Social Theory and Practice. Summer 1998: “Clearly there are instances of abuse and of abusive physical punishment. But that is insufficient to demonstrate even a correlation between corporal punishment and abuse, and a fortiori a causal elationship. Research into possible links between corporal punishment and abuse has proved inconclusive so far. Some studies have suggested that abusive parents use corporal punishment more than nonabusive parents, but other studies have shown this not to be the case.  The findings of one study,8 conducted a year after corporal punishment by parents was abolished in Sweden, suggested that Swedish parents were as prone to serious abuse of their children as were parents in the United States, where corporal punishment was (and is) widespread.

These findings are far from decisive, but they caution us against hasty conclusions about the abusive effects of corporal punishment. ” Corporal punishment should be limited, but not abandoned David Benatar. “Corporal Punishment Social Theory and Practice”. Social Theory and Practice. Summer 1998: “Opponents of the corporal punishment of children are rightly critical of its extensive use and the severity with which it is all too often inflicted. They have been at pains to show that corporal punishment is not used merely as a last resort, but is inflicted regularly and for the smallest of infractions. 1) They have also recorded the extreme harshness of many instances of corporal punishment. I have no hesitation in joining the opposition to such practices, which are correctly labeled as child abuse. Where I believe that opponents of corporal punishment are wrong is in saying that physical punishment should never be inflicted. ” Con Corporal punishment often escalates to child abuse “Child Corporal Punishment: Spanking. The anti-pking position”. Religious tolerance: “It can escalate to abuse: Because a pking works for a while, the parent often repeats the pking whenever the child misbehaves.

Corporal punishment may then become a standard response to any misbehavior. This can lead to increasingly frequent and harsher pking which can exceed the “reasonable force” threshold and become abuse. ” Corporal punishment of children is analogous to wife-beating. Comments by Parents and Teachers Against Violence in Education (PTAVE) from their website at www. NoSpank. net: “Spanking does for a child’s development what wife-beating does for a marriage. “Corporal punishment often over-responds to innocent child behavior Jan Hunt. “Ten Reasons Not to Hit Your Kids”. The Natural Child Project: “

In many cases of so-called ‘bad behavior’, the child is simply responding in the only way he can, given his age and experience, to neglect of basic needs. Among these needs are: proper sleep and nutrition, treatment of hidden allergy, fresh air, exercise, and sufficient freedom to explore the world around him. But his greatest need is for his parents’ undivided attention. In these busy times, few children receive sufficient time and attention from their parents, who are often too distracted by their own problems and worries to treat their children with patience and empathy.

It is surely wrong and unfair to punish a child for responding in a natural way to having important needs neglected. For this reason, punishment is not only ineffective in the long run, it is also clearly unjust. ” Corporal punishment induces fear and despair in children Irvin Wolkoff. “Spanked child can become self-loathing adult. ” The Toronto Star. November 29, 1999: “The message a toddler gets from a slap or pking is that a parent or other loved and trusted adult is prepared to induce pain and even do physical harm to force unquestioning obedience.

That’s terrifying to a little kid… However well-intentioned, a slap registers as the shattering of the whole deal between parent and child. Young children are left awash in feelings of fear, shame, rage, hostility, self-destructiveness and betrayal that they can’t yet resolve or manage. “

Sexual abuse:

Is corporal punishment associated with sexual abuse?

Risks of sexual abuse with pking can be regulated. David Benatar. “Corporal Punishment Social Theory and Practice”. Social Theory and Practice. Summer 1998: “It is, of course, a concern that some parents or teachers might derive sexual gratification from beating children, but is it a reason to eliminate or ban the practice? Someone might suggest that it is, if the anticipated sexual pleasure led to beatings that were inappropriate–either because children were beaten when they should not have been, or if the punishment were administered in an improper manner.

However, if this is the concern, surely the fitting response would be to place limitations on the use of the punishment and, at least in schools, to monitor and enforce compliance. “Con Corporal punishment on the buttocks is a sexual violation.

Child Corporal Punishment: The anti-pking position”: “Slapping or any other type of force used on the buttocks is a sexual violation: The buttocks are an erogenous zone of the human body. Their nerve system is connected to the body’s sexual nerve centers. Slapping them can involuntarily trigger feelings of sexual pleasure which become mixed with the pain.

This can lead to confusion in the child’s mind which influences the way in which they express their sexuality as adults. “

Last resort:

Is corporal punishment justified as “a last resort”?

Pro Corporal punishment is justifiable as a last resort Ken Gallinger. “Ethically Speaking”. Toronto Star: “Spanking is an act of violence, so ethically, it could be justified only if there was absolutely no other way to improve the way kids act. Con Violence of corporal punishment is never justified as “last resort” Laurie A. Couture. “10 pro-corporal punishment arguments ; 10 commonsense answers”. 2003: “Argument #4: ‘I only use corporal punishment as a last resort. ‘ Answer: This reasoning teaches children that it is acceptable to use violence as a last resort to getting their way or to solving a difficult problem. This teaches that violence is the end result to frustrating situations that seem to have no other solution. Wars are fought on this principle.

This argument is no more acceptable than an angry spouse saying that they “only” hit their mate “as a last resort” to a problem. ” Better ways exist; corporal punishment is lazy way There are always ways to discipline children that do not involve violence, and which are inherently superior than resorting to violence. Resorting to violence is the lazy way out for parent or teachers.

Regulation:

Can corporal punishment be properly regulated?

Pro Corporal punishment can be regulated within orderly framework. Corporal punishment must be used as part of a wider strategy and at the correct time: when other immediate discipline has failed; when the child understands their behaviour and has had an opportunity to explain it; and after an initial warning and opportunity for the child to repent. Crucially, the person delivering the punishment must not be angry at the time. This undermines much of the hysterical argument against corporal punishment. Con Regulation of corporal punishment does not soften ill effects.

No matter how orderly you make the beating of a child, there are a number of adverse effects. They will lose trust in the adults who administer the beating; they learn that force is an acceptable factor in human interaction; they feel humiliated and lose self-respect; and they build up resentment that cannot be resolved at the time but may lead to severe misbehaviour in the future.

Psychology:

Does corporal punishment increase rates of depression/suicide?

 Pro Moderate corporal punishment is not psychologically damaging David Benatar. “Corporal Punishment Social Theory and Practice”. Social Theory and Practice. Summer 1998: “[Claim:] Corporal punishment is psychologically damaging [… ] Although there is evidence that excessive corporal punishment can significantly increase the chances of such psychological harm, most of the psychological data are woefully inadequate to the task of demonstrating that mild and infrequent corporal punishment has such consequences. [… ] First, the studies are not conclusive.

The main methodological problem is that the studies are not experiments but post facto investigations based on self-reports. [… ] The second point is that even if Professor Straus’s findings are valid, the nature of the data is insufficiently marked to justify a moral condemnation of mild and infrequent corporal punishment. ” Con Corporal punishment increases depression and suicide Murray Straus, an influential researcher on violence at the University of New Hampshire’s Family Research Lab, writes in his book Beating the Devil out of Them, that corporal punishment increases rates of depression and suicide. 9] Corporal punishment fosters criminality and delinquency. Dr. Ralph Welsh, who has given psychological exams to over 2,000 delinquents has said: “… it is now apparent that the recidivist male delinquent who was never struck with a belt, board, extension cord, fist, or an equivalent is virtually nonexistent. Even after 10 years, the full impact of this discovery is still difficult to comprehend. “

Teacher authority:

Does corporal punishment represent a failure of teacher authority?

Pro Corporal punishment does not represent teacher failures David Benatar. “Corporal Punishment Social Theory and Practice”. Social Theory and Practice. Summer 1998: “there is a big difference between [… ] a failure in the pupil, and a failure in the teacher. In either case it is true, in some sense, that the teacher failed to discourage the child from doing wrong–failed to prevent failure in the child. However, it is not a failure for which the teacher necessarily is responsible.

I am well aware that the responsibility for children’s wrongdoing is all too often placed exclusively at the door of children themselves, without due attention to the influences to which they are subjected. However, there is a danger that in rejecting this incorrect evaluation, teachers (and parents) will be blamed for all shortcomings in children. ” Corporal punishment helps protect teachers and adults Walter Williams. “Making a Case for Corporal Punishment”. Bnet. Sept 13, 1999: “During my youth, I might have been doing something mischievous, such as throwing stones.

An adult would come over to me and ask, ‘Does your mother know you’re out here throwing stones? ‘ I’d reply, ‘No sir or no ma’am,’ and hope that the matter ended there. [… ] Today, it’s quite different. An adult correcting a youngster risks being cursed and possibly assaulted. That’s a sad commentary. Adults are justifiably afraid of children. Do we Americans as parents, teachers, principals and others in positions of authority have the guts and willpower to control our youngsters? “

ConCorporal punishment represents failure to engage students The Christian Science Monitor, 1989-MAR-21: “The fundamental need of American education is to find ways of engaging today’s children in the thrill of learning. Fear of pain has no place in that process. “[10] Corporal punishment reflects breakdown of communication American Medical Association, (1985): “Infliction of pain or discomfort, however minor, is not a desirable method of communicating with children. “Corporal punishment distracts from teaching and training. Bill Gothard: “We don’t focus on corporal punishment. We focus on teaching and training.

Generations:

What about people that were pked, but “turned out fine”?

 Pro Generations of people have been subjected to corporal punishment. People have been subjected to corporal punishment for years and have turned out just fine. Individuals of all types in society continually give testimony to their own happy and disciplined lives, following corporal punishment as children, and there is no reason to doubt the validity of these claims.

Indeed, if someone was pked as a child and turned out more disciplined, successful, and happy as a result – even if only according to their own interpretations – who is to say that their judgment to deal with their kids in similar ways is invalid. How can the government restrict their right to exercise this judgment and what they see as within the interests of their children. Con People “doing fine” after corporal punishment were harmed Laurie A. Couture. “Argument #1: “It didn’t do ME any harm! “. Child Advocate. org. “Answer: Often people who declare this typical argument do so very defensively. They may feel they must defend the actions of their caretakers. To do otherwise is to admit that as children, they never deserved to have pain inflicted upon them. They must also admit to the feelings of fear, anger and mistrust that may have resulted from being hit by loved ones who were supposed to keep them safe from harm. Often, people who use this argument use or have used corporal punishment on their own children, thus defending their actions to minimize guilt.

However, their actions reveal that corporal punishment DID do them harm: It perpetuated the cycle of violence that they now endorse or inflict upon children. “

International law:

Is corporal punishment consistent with international law?

Pro Corporal punishment is an issue for national not international law. Corporal punishment is an issue that is sensitive to individual cultures in different countries around the world.

For this reason, it is wrong to apply international law at the expense of national law. Each nation must make this judgement based on public feelings regarding the practice, as this is one of the more important elements in whether it can be deemed acceptable or not. Like many moral issues, there is not blanket answer, and it is important to defer to local populations’ interpretation of morality and culture to determine the appropriate public policy and law. Con Corporal punishment is illegal under international law.

Article 19 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child Article clearly prohibits any physical violence or punishment against children, which includes corporal punishment: “States Parties shall take all appropriate legislative, administrative, social and education measures to protect the child from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse, neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse, while in the care of parent(s), legal guardian(s) or any other person who has the care of the child.

Such protective measures should, as appropriate, include effective procedures for the establishment of social programs to provide necessary support for the child and for those who have the care of the child, as well as for other forms of prevention and for identification, reporting, referral, investigation, treatment and follow-up of instances of child maltreatment described heretofore, and, as appropriate, for judicial involvement. “

Religion:

Is corporal punishment justifiable under religious doctrine?

Pro Quotations from the Bible that promote corporal punishment. Proverbs 23:14. The authorship is traditionally attributed to King Solomon: “Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell. ” “He who spareth his rod hateth his son, but he who loveth him is chasteneth him betimes. ” (King Solomon, in the Book of Proverbs [13:24]. “Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of correction will drive it far from him. (Proverbs 22:15) “Do not withhold correction from a child, for if you beat him with a rod, he will not die. You shall beat him with a rod. And deliver his soul from hell. ” (Proverbs 23:13)

Con Scripture can be cited to enforce or debunk corporal punishment. “The Devil can cite Scripture for his purpose” (Shakespeare). The Bible frequently condones practices that are outrageous to the modern sensibility. It sometimes promotes what would appear to be retribution or wanton acts of violence, while at other times it promotes a more Jesus-like philosophy of complete non-violence and compassion.

So, while there are passage in the Bible that give support to corporal punishment, there are also ones that clearly condemn it. For this reason, little value should be assigned to individual passages in the Bible as they relate to corporal punishment.

Name: Melissa Flores Tile: Corporal punishment Date: 3/4/13 Do you believe hitting your own students is a good idea? There was a little girl named Jessica and she was being abused at home and in school. She had enough and went through depression and at the end she killed herself. First of all it can increase the amount of violence, Secondly, you never know if that kid gets abused at home and lastly, in the United States it can be consider child abuse.

No one should ever hit kids especially those that aren’t yours if you don’t feed them or take care of them what gives you the right to put your hands on them? Violence isn’t just bad it can lower a child’s self-esteem and you never know if that poor kid gets abused at home. Recently there was an accident about a young man who killed his mom in the school and innocent kids due to the fact his mom would abuse him, and he also had mental problems. Not a lot of people know why he did that but it was confirmed that his mom was abusing him and that poor man couldn’t take it no more.

Teachers shouldn’t put their hands on stranger kids just because you teach those kid’s doesn’t mean you have the right to hit them. Another reason why teachers should put their hands on student is because it increases the amount of violence we have to the United States. The United States is not just known for freedom of speech it’s also known as a dangerous country due to the fact millions of people are getting killed every day. Behind every mistreated person there is always a sad story. Violence isn’t funny and it shouldn’t be considered a joke.

Sadly even teenager’s get arrested for crimes of death and drugs, and sadly the most common reason is because they had a bad childhood or due to the lack of depression. Do you believe we need to increase this violence even more due to the teachers now? Lastly hitting a child in the United States is known as child abuse. This law is taken very seriously by the country parents don’t even have the right to hit their kids because some teenager’s believe it or not call the cops on their own parents.

This law is no joke if you hit an underage child parents go to jail and face about 10 years depending how bad the abuse was. If a kid is under 18 they get sent to a foster home. I wouldn’t want that to grow up without my own mother next to me, so imagine being a teacher you wouldn’t just lose your job and school licenses you will go to jail for many years and will leave your family behind. Let’s say you’re a teacher with kids and no husband your kids will get sent to a foster home and you will never see your own kids ever again.

The United States take their laws very seriously would you want to face the consequences for hitting a child that’s not even yours? Should teacher have a Corporal punishment right? I disagree because first of all it increases the amount of violence, secondly hitting a child is known as child abuse and lastly it can increase a child self-esteem because you never know if that child is getting abused at home. Corporal punishment should be allowed at all and it shouldn’t be considered because a lot of kid get abused at home now at school too.

Corporal punishment by definition is the deliberate infliction of physical pain as a system of changing behaviour. Corporal punishment may consist of methods such as shaking, pinching, kicking, punching, slapping, hitting, painful body posture, or use of different objects such as sticks, belts and paddles (National Association of School Nurses, 2002, p. 1). In the past, corporal punishment was a technique of disciplining youth and children in the school setting.

At present, several States in America have enacted legislation banning corporal punishment in schools. On the other hand corporal punishment has been an accepted mode of reprimand that several parents choose to integrate into their lives without giving a careful consideration. The mode of punishment can commence at any time but is generally initiated within the start of the child’s grade school (Mathews, 2006, p. 1). The physical inflictions can be tolerated all the way until the teenager grows old enough to leave or be independent.

This type of correction is purely torture, which has been employed for centuries and is still a frightening and disturbing incidence in several families today. Dr. Murray Straus of the University of New Hampshire Family Research Laboratory revealed that corporal punishment: when regularly imposed to children it increases their antisocial behaviour such as bullying, cheating, stealing, lying, assaulting peers or sibling, and lack of repentance for erroneous doings (The Center for Effective Discipline, n.

d. ); provides as a model for violent behaviour and for improper ways of dealing with disagreement among the punished children; erodes trust between a child and parent; and badly influences cognitive development of the child. Corporal punishment is not desirable for the reason that it increases the risk of child abuse and adults who were frequently hit during their childhood are likely to experience depression and other unconstructive mental health and social effects.

This form of punishment can have a negative effect on the affected children as it relates to their physical and mental growth and health, as they are at a period of fragile mental capacity. Finally, corporal punishment is not desirable because children are entitled to security, care and good rearing from their parents and teachers. Adults should understand the significance of recognizing corrective discipline instead of outright imposition of corporal punishment in disciplining children.

Because children’s ability to control their own behaviour is limited, corrective discipline is an important characteristic of adequate parenting for the reason that it generates the best preventive steps, which is reducing the occurrence of misconduct, and not eliminating it (Straus, Fauchier, 2007, p. 5). Corrective discipline incorporates positive in addition to disciplinary behaviours, and combinations of the two. Conclusion Corporal punishment has a strong possibility to influence the child’s self-image and contribute to violent and disruptive behaviours.

However, the practice remains a commonly used method of discipline in most American families and is still legal in educational institutions in several States in America. The progress of social skills after the infliction of corporal punishment may be severely changed, leading to belligerent behaviours. The imposition of corporal punishment also advances the message that cruelty is an acceptable form of behaviour in the society. Clearly, corporal punishment is not desirable and effective in enforcing discipline among children.