The Pros And Cons Of Corporal Punishment

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Corporal punishment defined by psychologists is physical force that inflicts pain without injury for correctional purposes (Donnelly) but children between the ages of four to twelve define it very differently. To them, it is the cane, the belt and the raised hand which has taught them discipline and fear. To them, it is the scars and the bruises which have become reminders of their wrong doings. To them, it is the measure taken by their parents to form the “model citizen”. With the well-being and moral internalization of these children as the top priority, many people have spoken against this practice and a few governments outlawing it. Nonetheless, the fight to ban domestic corporal punishment is not over on the grounds of which it can lead to abuse, is an ineffective form of correctional education and inhibits child development. Although parents justify themselves by stating that they do not intend to injure their children, there is a tendency for corporal punishment to escalate into child abuse. This is because for the punishment to be effective at sending the message, the intensity and length of each punishment has to be increased over time. For instance, a four year old child may need only a light tap on the hand but a ten year old child may need to be caned to learn the same lesson. As a result, parent may not know how much to punish them and they end up over-doing it as reported that 63% of child abuse cases substantiated from corporal punishment (Gershoff). Another reason is that parents assume that they have control over themselves. However, this is not the case because a study on 35 mothers has shown that most parents are responding on impulse or emotionally, rather than instrumentally with their children’s health in min... ... middle of paper ... ...viours have been linked suicidal thoughts and behaviour. In short, there is a high risk of negative behavioural changes among those on the receiving end of corporal punishment. To conclude, corporal punishment should not be practised in any home as child abuse can happen, the wrong lessons can be taught and the child development can be hindered. It is understood that disciplining their children is a responsibility of every parent but corporal punishment is not the means to do so. Besides correcting misconduct appropriately, parents need to also show good example to their children, teaching them aggression is no solution to aggression. With this in mind, their well-being and development will not be jeopardized and a true model citizen can be moulded. Lastly, for those who still practise corporal punishment at home, ask yourself this: Does fear equate to moral values?

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