Levels of Child Punishment Essays - Parenting, Childhood

Eisenbeis 1 Courtney Eisenbeis Eng 10291 Professor Otto 15 November 2015 Levels of Child Punishment Parents should physically punish their children in times of need. Whether it is because of doing something they were told not to do, or doing something that could put them in danger, disciplinary actions need to be taken in order to teach children. Teaching children will make them learn what is and is not acceptable. Parents do have the right to punish their children however, the severity of the punishment is relative to the parent. Spanking, and any other kind of punishment is a form of discipline and is a tool used to teach anyone from right and wrong. To all the parents who cannot decide how to punish their children, spanking is a reasonable punishment in necessary times. There have been various amounts of research done to decipher whether spanking is acceptable or not. Most research describes spanking as an effective punishment and that it should be used in times of need, but infrequently. Most of the time you also see that spanking punishments are used because of traditional times and what has been popular from previous generations. The sources provided can vouch for both sides of the argument, but most agrees with spanking at necessary times. In the end, the information provided explains why spanking is a logical punishment. Punishments among children can be debatable, which makes this research a controversial topic because some that involve even the slightest pat on the body can lead to severe abuse. Eisenbeis 2 It is said from the opposing perspective of spanking that it can lead to abuse or violence. It is a main argument of why physical punishments are frowned upon. Abuse could happen at any time and from anyone it is unexpected unless it is actively committed. But, spanking is not the only thing that can lead to abuse. Since is it a physical punishment, it is looked upon for signs of abuse by child safety agencies, but the parents who are disciplining their children correctly are the ones that do not come close to being accused of abuse. Parents who spank their kids to the extreme can pose serious risks to their children. Sheree Toth is the director of a leading research center on child abuse she studies what is, and is not, abuse to children. She stated in an article, I have seen all too often that what a parent considers legitimate discipline can quickly deteriorate into violence fueled by anger (Toth). Spanking is an example of what Toth discusses, but it is more likely thought of as an acceptable punishment because parents do not use it as a severe punishment. There is just a possibility of it becoming a violent action. There are many parenting classes and books parents should read before becoming parents in order to know what kind of actions should be punishable ones. Even though every parent has a different parenting style, each parent can still be able to refrain from punishments leading to abuse. There are ways to prevent abuse, but sometimes it just happens when parents slack on teaching their children right from wrong, and get angry easily with their children. However, spanking children in necessary times are vital when trying to teach your children. Otherwise, if you just scold them, they may not learn as well. Spanking is not abuse. It is not considered abuse because it is not a corporal punishment. Corporal punishment can be understood in numerous ways. The definition of corporal punishment according to Educate, dont punish! Awareness Campaign, is the use of physical Eisenbeis 3 force causing pain, but not wounds, as a means of discipline (Goicoechea). On the other hand, spanking, rapping on the head and slapping are forms of corporal punishment, but we [Save the Children Committee] do not classify as abuse (Goicoechea). In other words, it is punishment administered by an adult to the body of a child, ranging from a slap to a spanking. Therefore, corporal punishment is more severe than a spank on the bottom.There are two factors, said by Save the Children Committee, when distinguishing between corporal punishments and physical abuse: intensity the extent to which injuries have resulted from the use of violence, and intention the extent to which the intention is to teach/discipline (Goicoechea). The intention is the reason spanking is lawful and a good parenting style. If spanking was considered a corporal punishment, it can also damage the parentchild relationship, as the parent becomes a source of both nurturing