Corporal punishment is illegal in schools in many of the states, and is generally disapproved of even in the private home environment. Many parents are against this practice, both in schools and not, as there are many negative side effects of this sort of punishment. There are many immediate effects, like increased aggressiveness in the child being punished, or lowered self esteem and anxiety. There are even effects that damage the child into adulthood, such as reciprocating the abuse onto spouses or kids, depression, and alcohol abuse. Finally, in many cases, scholarly corporal punishment seems to be carried out without the parents knowledge and for small things that can be sorted out without the use of corporal punishment.
Children who are hit by a parent or adult suffer from many immediate effects, and not all of them are good. Though hitting does seem to get the child to do what is requested quickly, it does not benefit the child, “Corporal punishment can lower self esteem and cause feelings of helplessness and anxiety… [and kids] are more likely to behave aggressively towards others” (Stokely). There are two ways a child can go, meek personality and low confidence levels, or aggression and a desire for revenge. Neither of these paths are ideal for a child, as young kids should be encouraged to try new things and develop their social skills, but low self-confidence and high aggression are both detrimental to social interactions. Being unable to develop social skills or developing them poorly leads to many more problems later in life.
Not only are there immediate effects, but there are also repercussions that do not show up until adulthood. Many are not only affecting the victim, but also that person’s loved ones and peers, “Children who are hit by their parents are also more likely to grow into adults who abuse their children and spouses… [and are at] higher [risk] of alcohol abuse and depression” (Ballaro and Newton). Victims are also more likely to tend to drink to help with the pain and memories of abuse, this alcohol abuse could also be joint to the high numbers of depression in abused children. Depression may cause the victim to want to drink, and possibly then go home and abuse a spouse or child which in turn creates another victim and it becomes a terrible cycle of abuse.
During school hours, some teachers are permitted to deliver corporal punishment in any case where a child is deemed worthy of a smack. But, in many cases across the United States, teachers are carrying out these punishments without notifying the child’s parents and in punishment for minor things that could be taken care of without using violence, “Parents are left in the dark, and our children receive physical punishment for things that need other methods to take care of the problem” (Corporal Punishment: Teaching Violence Through Violence). Not informing a child’s parents when corporal punishment is used on them disallows the parents to try and solve the problem without using violent means. A parent could easily remedy the issue of missing assignments or lost school supplies if only the parent was made aware of the problem. Corporal punishment is unnecessary in these many cases, though it is often seen as a simple, quick, and effective means of getting children to behave and remember to bring supplies to school.
It can be easy to resort to using corporal punishment when frustrated with a child, but Gershoff writes that “Corporal punishment is effective in getting children to comply immediately while at the same time there is caution from child abuse researchers that corporal punishment by its nature can escalate into physical maltreatment,” (Gershoff and Larzelere). Striking a child is sure to shock them into complying with the adult, but one must be careful to not use this sort of means too much or too roughly, as it can easily become an issue of child abuse. Too often a child learns to fear the adult who is delivering the punishment and therefore do just as told, instead of respecting the adult and doing what is asked because of positive relationships and respect.
Children who are hit by a parent or adult suffer from many immediate effects, and not all of them are good. Though hitting does seem to get the child to do what is requested quickly, it does not benefit the child, “Corporal punishment can lower self esteem and cause feelings of helplessness and anxiety… [and kids] are more likely to behave aggressively towards others” (Stokely). There are two ways a child can go, meek personality and low confidence levels, or aggression and a desire for revenge. Neither of these paths are ideal for a child, as young kids should be encouraged to try new things and develop their social skills, but low self-confidence and high aggression are both detrimental to social interactions. Being unable to develop social skills or developing them poorly leads to many more problems later in life.
Not only are there immediate effects, but there are also repercussions that do not show up until adulthood. Many are not only affecting the victim, but also that person’s loved ones and peers, “Children who are hit by their parents are also more likely to grow into adults who abuse their children and spouses… [and are at] higher [risk] of alcohol abuse and depression” (Ballaro and Newton). Victims are also more likely to tend to drink to help with the pain and memories of abuse, this alcohol abuse could also be joint to the high numbers of depression in abused children. Depression may cause the victim to want to drink, and possibly then go home and abuse a spouse or child which in turn creates another victim and it becomes a terrible cycle of abuse.
During school hours, some teachers are permitted to deliver corporal punishment in any case where a child is deemed worthy of a smack. But, in many cases across the United States, teachers are carrying out these punishments without notifying the child’s parents and in punishment for minor things that could be taken care of without using violence, “Parents are left in the dark, and our children receive physical punishment for things that need other methods to take care of the problem” (Corporal Punishment: Teaching Violence Through Violence). Not informing a child’s parents when corporal punishment is used on them disallows the parents to try and solve the problem without using violent means. A parent could easily remedy the issue of missing assignments or lost school supplies if only the parent was made aware of the problem. Corporal punishment is unnecessary in these many cases, though it is often seen as a simple, quick, and effective means of getting children to behave and remember to bring supplies to school.
It can be easy to resort to using corporal punishment when frustrated with a child, but Gershoff writes that “Corporal punishment is effective in getting children to comply immediately while at the same time there is caution from child abuse researchers that corporal punishment by its nature can escalate into physical maltreatment,” (Gershoff and Larzelere). Striking a child is sure to shock them into complying with the adult, but one must be careful to not use this sort of means too much or too roughly, as it can easily become an issue of child abuse. Too often a child learns to fear the adult who is delivering the punishment and therefore do just as told, instead of respecting the adult and doing what is asked because of positive relationships and respect.