Physically disciplining children is becoming a frowned upon practice amongst experts in child development and sociology. Despite this, 71% of parents approve spanking children [Dom101], and 94% of children who are three and four years old are disciplined with some form of corporal punishment[Mur991]. Although corporal punishment is still a common discipline technique for parents, it should not be used because of the negative effects it can have on children, both socially and behaviorally. Corporal punishment is defined by Murray A. Straus, an expert in sociology, as, “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” [Mur94]. Despite numerous studies that show a clear link between corporal punishment and negative effects such as violence, substance abuse, and antisocial behavior, many parents still swear by its effectiveness and state that they were hit as children and no long term harm was done to them.
Young children can be difficult to handle especially for young, first time parents. Between work, housekeeping, taking kids back and forth to daycare, and a multitude of issues that parents face, it is understandable that parents may resort to simple, yet ineffective methods of discipline for their kids. However, the stress of life and lack of time to learn better techniques is no excuse for hitting children. One study conducted by researchers at the University of New Hampshire found that corporal punishment contributes to negative behaviors in children as young as 36 months [Mat071]. For parents who already have difficult lives, it makes no sense to use a violent form of punishment that breeds negative behavior. Some parents may be tempted to use more corporal punishment when their children misbehave, but the same study also found that when corporal punishment is used more, undesirable behaviors go up as well.
It is no secret that violence begets violence, so it should be no surprise that when children are hit, they absorb the idea that violence is an acceptable means of achieving their desires. In a study of 3-7 year old children, where they were interviewed about their approval of hitting siblings and peers, it was found that 63% of children who were spanked said they would use physical force to solve conflicts with peers, and an overwhelming 79% would use force during conflicts with siblings, while none of the children who were not spanked would have used force to solve a conflict [Dom101]. What this study indicates is that children soak up the world around them like a sponge. Children look up to their parents and follow the example that they set. So when a parent hits their child to discourage a bad behavior, it should be expected that that same child will internalize the message that using force gets people what they want. The study also promotes the idea of an intergenerational cycle of violence, where children who are hit or abused are more likely to use the same techniques, or ones similar, on their children as the ones that were used on them.
Hitting children does not only lead to behavioral problems, it can also lead to an array of mental disorders. Traumatic events can affect people for the rest of their lives. What is considered traumatic may be different from person to person, and especially for a child. For many children, being hit by the person they depend on for reasons they do not fully understand may be seen as traumatic, especially when it is a regular occurrence. A study with a nationally representative sample showed that there is a strong link between mental disorders and corporal punishment, such as mood, personality, and anxiety disorders, along with other difficulties later in life like substance abuse.
Researchers from this study also estimated that, if physical punishment did not occur, Axis I disorders [e.g., depression and social phobia] in the general population could be reduced by 2% to 5%, and Axis II disorders [development and personality disorders] could be reduced by 4% to 7% in the general population [Tra121]. Refraining from hitting children is a small price for any parent to pay, knowing that their child has a higher chance of growing up to live a happy and healthy life. Larger costs to society are also saved when parents refrain from using corporal punishment. Children who are victims of maltreatment can burden society by close to $210,000 when factors such as child medical expenses, adult medical expenses, criminal justice costs, and productivity losses are included [Xia12].
Another problem associated with corporal punishment is antisocial behavior. Many parents will use corporal punishment on their children for exemplifying antisocial behaviors, rather than teach them the importance of respecting others. Unfortunately for both parents and children, this has the opposite effect. Expert sociologist Murray A. Straus and his team found that children who were spanked had a higher level of antisocial behavior two years later. However, they also found”…a total of 44% of the children in this national sample whose ASB [antisocial behavior] would, on average, decrease if parents spanked them less” [Mur971]. Again, parents could benefit from knowing that their children have a higher chance of living happy lives, if they only refrained from using corporal punishment. However, parents who decide to use corporal punishment will have to live with the thought in mind that they played a crucial role in their child’s development, and that they are partly to blame for their child’s negative behavior. One could only hope that this behavior does not lead to violent crime.
Societies around the world differ in parenting styles greatly, but corporal punishment is an almost universal method of parenting. Although it is less accepted in some regions of the world, and some places have even enacted laws prohibiting its use, it still remains a driving force in the way children are raised. Researchers Jennifer E. Lansford and Kenneth A. Dodge wanted to know if violence at a societal level, and a region’s use of corporal punishment had a correlation. In this study, they collected data from six major regions of the world [Sub-Saharan Africa, Circum-Mediterranean, East Eurasia, Insular Pacific, North America, and South/Central America], pertaining to the violence that occurs in those regions, and their acceptance and use of corporal punishment.
From their results, they found that, societies that frequently used corporal punishment were, “27% higher for inculcation of aggression in children, 16% higher for engaging in warfare, and 12% higher in interpersonal violence among adults” when compared to societies that did not frequently use corporal punishment [Jen08]. When there are clear and significant correlations between corporal punishment and societal violence, the populations at large need to admit that they have a vested interest in the wellbeing of children. Children who grow up in a violent environment are more likely to believe that violence is just part of the status quo, and see no issue in using it to achieve their desires. This effects all members of a society, including those without children. When the very livelihood of a population is dependent on how parents raise their children, evidence that denounces traditional means of discipline cannot be taken lightly.
In extreme cases, corporal punishment can also lead to child abuse. Child abuse is no light issue, as it drastically effects how a child grows up and sees the world. Child abuse can also lead to significant injuries that may require medical attention as one study by researchers from the Department of Health in Egypt found. Of the 2,170 child sample, 813 were subjected to corporal punishment, and 210 of them received physical injuries as a result, including bumps, contusions, wounds, loss of consciousness, and fractures, and 47 of them required medical attention [Ran981]. While only about 26% of the children who were disciplined with corporal punishment were injured, that is still an alarmingly high number of children when thought about in terms of the general population. Each of those children represent an individual life that could
have gone on to do something great for society, but had that opportunity ripped from their hands by parents who let anger and authoritarian style parenting guide their actions. It should also be noted that most child abuse does not happen for its own sake, rather 75% of it happens in the context of punishment, as found by the Public Health Agency of Canada [Nic03]. Parenting is difficult, and when stress adds up, it can be easy for parents to lose control and inflict brutal physical harm to their children for doing things that children just do.
While corporal punishment may be a simple method for disciplining children, parents should educate themselves about alternative techniques and how they can affect parent-child relationships. The American Academy of Pediatrics says that, “Effective discipline requires three essential components:
- a positive, supportive, loving relationship between the parent(s) and child,
- use of positive reinforcement strategies to increase desired behaviors, and
- removing reinforcement or applying punishment to reduce or eliminate undesired behaviors” [Com981].
While this may sound difficult to some, it is actually quite simple. Having a consistent schedule at home, being consistent with reactions to behaviors, using a positive tone, and including children in decision making can all fall under the first guideline. Under the second guideline, parents should provide children with verbal praise when they act desirably, and model the behaviors that they would like to see in their children. And under the third guideline, parents should explain to their children what makes a behavior wrong when they do it, and be clear on what will happen if a child acts undesirably [Com981].
While some ground has been made since the 1950s when 99% of children were physically disciplined [Rob57], there is still work to be done. Many fully functional and happy adults can point out that they were hit as children and that they have not experienced any lasting effects. While this is valid, it is similar to the claims of smokers who have not been subject toany noticeable negative health effects over a lifetime of smoking. Smoking, just like corporal punishment, is unnecessary and significantly increases the risk of harm. When the risks of corporal punishment greatly outweigh the benefits, parents need to reconsider their methods and educate themselves on how to better discipline their children. Through education, societies can turn the tide against this barbaric practice, and achieve broader goals, such as more peaceful civilizations, in the process.
