Reasons to Oppose Corporal Punishment

Do you want your child to cooperate with you out of love and respect or out of fear? Read the reasons why Peace In Your Home is against the use of Corporal Punishment.

1. Corporal punishment is unnecessary. There are other ways to discipline a child, which are:

• Non-violent
• More effective
• Respectful to children

2. Corporal Punishment is confusing

• It confuses discipline with punishment. Discipline is used to teach, while punishment is used for the purpose of control and retribution.
• It confuses the issue of love and violence. Spanking because you “love” your child turns violence into an expression of love.
• Children may develop less of conscience as their sense of “right and wrong” is an external control from the parent, rather than an internal decision to control one’s behavior.

3. Corporal Punishment is ineffective.

• It does not teach children the skills to be successful.
• Since all human behavior is symptomatic, it merely controls the symptom while aggravating the cause of the problem.
• Children learn to behave a certain way so as to avoid corporal punishment, instead of learning the reason why they should do the right thing.

Learn more effective methods to discipline here.

4. Corporal Punishment perpetuates violence.

• It validates fear, pain, intimidation, and violence as acceptable methods of resolving conflicts between adults and children.
• It increases aggressiveness in your child and promotes vandalism in and out of the home.
• There is a higher incidence of violence among siblings when corporal punishment is used in the home.
• It preempts more effective means of communication and problem-solving. As long as it is an available option, little effort will be made to learn nonviolent alternatives.
• It is dangerous and can escalate into the battery.

5. Corporal Punishment can harm all aspects of your child’s emotional and mental health.

• There is a higher rate of juvenile delinquency, depression, and suicide among children who are corporally punished.
• It reduces the ability of your child to concentrate on intellectual tasks, thereby inhibiting learning.
• Initiative and creativity are decreased and a sense of powerlessness, alienation, and being “turned off” is increased.
• These children tend to achieve a lower level of academic and economic success as an adult.
• It can result in permanent physical, mental, spiritual, or emotional harm to your child.

So parents, bury the rod and spare the child.  It is still possible to be firm and discipline your child with gentle hands and kind words. For additional support, consider family counseling, taking a live parenting course with a certified instructor or enrolling in an online parenting class.

by Pamela Laney