Spanking and other methods of
physical discipline (corporal punishment) can pose serious health
risks to children. Spanking has been found to hurt a child physically
and mentally. Although I am a supporter of spanking and somewhat
disagree with this theory, a lot of people agree with it. Parents and
professionals feel that spanking can have negative effects on
children. As a result, researchers have started to conduct studies to
further evaluate spanking and the effects it can have on children.
Some studies were difficult to conduct because while at home some
parents do not like to spank kids in front of others. In the field
(laboratory) it was hard because people do not usually spank in
public. Nevertheless, there have been some successful studies done.
Throughout the years of studies and research a lot of the findings
have been similar. Studies have found that physical punishment
(spanking) can lead to increased aggression, antisocial behavior,
damaged mental health, and physical injuries. Some long term effects
that have been found include mood disorders, anxiety disorders,
substance abuse, and personality disorders in 2% to 7% of people
observed. According to psychology professor Alan Kazdin, “There is no need for corporal punishment based on the
research. We are not giving up an effective technique. We are saying
this is a horrible thing that does not work” (Kazdin 2012). People
found that spanking may work momentarily to stop bad behavior but it
does not work in the long term. According to research spanking does
more harm than good. Since all of the findings, a lot of parent's
views on spanking have been altered. Some parents now prefer to use
the alternative methods of discipline such as time outs and loss of
privileges. They feel these methods pose a less threat on the child.
Another negative outcomes of
spanking is that it can destroy trust and self esteem. Children
genuinely trust their parents and upon being spanked they trust their
parents a little less. A child's self esteem can be damaged as well.
“It's a very embarrassing thing to be spanked and shame is one of
the most intolerable feelings to experience” (Greenberg 2012). As a
result, the child could start to build a protective shield around
themselves and have trust issues later in life. People have many
opinions regarding spanking. A lot comes from experience and the
outcome of research studies. In short, active practice of any
discipline method will have the deepest impact.
(Disagreeing perspective, 415 word
count)
References:
Smith, Brendan. "The Case
Against Spanking". American Psychological Association. Vol 43.
No 4. April 2012.Web. 6 Noember 2013.
Narvaez, Darcia. “Research on
Spanking: It's Bad for All Kids”. Psychology Today. September 8
2013.Web. 6 November 2013
