Spanking Verses Child Abuse

Most parents have debates in whether "to spank or not spank' when it comes to their children discipline. However, the first and the most common response of many parents are to spank, then probable trouble back in their mind and ask themselves, did my response was okay? Many parents do not even bother to stop and think through their actions. Commonly corporal punishment comes out of hands; it is not disciplined anymore it becomes abuse. All parents have their tradition of discipline and probably believe is the correct one, because they were taught that way, some are okay, but others are “NOT” correct. Although some of the parents blame their own child, themselves or whatever is happening around them. The parents need to discipline their child in a way that is not

A recent study shows 70 percent of parents believe it is right to discipline a child through physical means. Most commonly, parents will spank their children but being hit with things like belts or other objects happens as well. Parenting methods haven’t changed much with time and discipline in similar no matter the country. With more studies out to find the most effective method of parenting and discipline it’s coming to attention whether or not physical harm is the best way to teach children. Parents want what is best for their children, so it is important to constantly bring up and question methods commonly accepted in the past. One method that is becoming more controversial is spanking children. Though it is still considered normal to do, it is gaining more traction and more studies are being done to find the problems it causes. Checking on parenting methods can be difficult as everyone is raised differently. It is also difficult to test which forms of punishment lead to certain outcomes. However, there is a trend of negative effects from hitting. Gershoff acknowledges, “several national professional organizations have called on parents to abandon spanking as a child rearing practice and for professionals to recommend disciplinary alternatives to spanking.” Spanking children is a terrible discipline method as it has negative effects.

Spanking kids leads to depression (“9 things to do Instead of Spanking”,2016). Multiple studies show that teens are more likely to aggression, depression, and drug use when they are hit as kids. They don’t know any better than being hit. They also will think it is okay to hit others. Spanking makes kids feel insecure and leads to self-esteem problems.

Have you ever been spanked as a kid and felt angry towards your parents? Did you feel they just hated you? Spanking is a form of corporal punishment which is a punishment intended to cause pain in many different ways. Corporal punishment started in slavery and led to schools and homes. Although many states have banned corporal punishment it is still allowed in 19 out of 50 states. Many adults will agree children just need a ‘good ol’e spanking’ and others will argue that it is a negative way to parent and causes more problems. Spanking children is not a proper way of parenting because it gives a negative effect on children.

Even after years of research, the issue of whether spanking is an adequate discipline strategy or damaging to children remains a controversial topic. According to Kazdin and Benjet (2003) the definition of spanking is “. . . hitting a child with an open hand on the buttocks or extremities with the intent to discipline without leaving a bruise or causing physical harm (p. 100). In addition, according to Maguire-Jack, Gromoske and Berger (2012) only a few studies propose that spanking is an effective form of discipline. On the other hand, there is more evidence to show that spanking is an unsuccessful form of discipline that can led to unwanted consequences (p. 1960). I personally do not take a stance in this topic because I can see valid points from both parties. Although, I believe that the way the punishment is presented to the child is extremely important. For example, I feel that the child should know why he or she is punished and what is expected of them thereafter.

Why Spanking Children is Wrong Parents have been spanking their children for hundreds of years, but recently this practice has come into question. The concern is not regarding the effectiveness of spanking but the correctness of spanking. Parents should not be allowed to strike their children. Child abuse is defined as any unnecessary or intentional physical or emotional or sexual mistreatment of children. Spanking is not the only method of child discipline. Spanking is not even the most effective method of child discipline. Numerous studies have made it evident that spanking does have a negative effect on children. Spanking children should be considered child abuse because it teaches children the wrong message about hitting, it does not

Firstly, spanking can cause depression which can be bad for their personality. For example, according to the article, “Spanking Your Child: Good or Bad”, it states, “Studies show that the more children are spanked the less likely they are to be compliant and well-behaved in the long term.” The quote in the article

“…you can't tell your child not to hit others and then raise your own hand to him." says Lewis Goldberg. Many people are not for spanking for the same reasons that Lewis mentioned. They argue that spanking is “corporal punishment”, which is classified as child abuse. This can have

Spanking is the act of striking child with open hand, belt, paddle or swish. It is a common form of punishment especially among children. Spanking is a controversial with some researchers maintaining that it is helpful and making spanking not abusive. Spanking assist parents to exercise authority over the child, once spanked a child understand whatever they have done was wrong and not to repeat it again. (Riffe 2011) Children are also able to understand the required norms of the society once they grow up. Other saying that research shows that spanking makes a child aggressive and develops a poor relationship between parents and their child. (Gershoff, 2002)

Spanking has sparked a debate for a while now, many do no think that spanking is the way to discipline your kids and others differ from that perspective. Many parents do not accept a technique such as that, many others prefer punishment such as, time out, no play time, taking something away like a toy or being grounded and others prefer the “old school method”, the method of spanking.

This issue of corporal punishment is a current issue that many people have on their minds. The issue strikes an emotional chord for many whom were or were not punished by spanking during their own childhoods. The issue generally focuses on the effect that spanking or other discipline methods will have on children. I will specifically be exploring the question: is it ever appropriate to spank a child? The cases for and against the spanking of young children are many and varied. But the main issue is the level of appropriateness that the act can reach.

Spanking has become an arguably debatable form of discipline. According to a study at the University of Texas, the more children are spanked, the more likely they are to defy their parents (“Spanking: Pros and Cons”). There is a connection between spanking during the childhood and mental health diagnoses later in life. There are other options of discipling your child than spanking them, especially because all children can take spanking differently. Parents should not spank their child because it showers that being “stronger” is right, demonstrates that older people have a right to hit younger people, and gives the examples that violence solves all problems.

Growing up, did your parents or guardians ever spank you for something you did wrong? I can remember getting my behind swatted when I did something wrong. I also remember my mom would always say, "You will get into less trouble if you tell me the truth." According to Reeves and Cuddy (2014), in the year of 2012, over 70 percent of American's were in agreement that there are times when a child needs a "good, hard spanking". Of course, not everyone has the same opinion on how often or severe the punishment should be. So, should spanking your child, when they are in need of one, be banned?

Parents should not spank their children because the parental spanking of children can be harmful to the behavioral and social development of their children. Parental spanking of children is a violent disciplinary technique where a parent hits children's behinds with an open hand or object in order to deter children's' behavior in a way the parents may perceive as negative. I grew up in a home where my parents spanked me and my three younger brothers. I have witnessed parental spanking of children practiced first hand. I have found that the parental spanking of children does not work as well as a lot of parents think it does. Whether a parent, teacher, or social worker, the parental spanking of children is important to have an empirically

Today, there is a common misconception that spanking is a form of child abuse. Some parents are actually afraid to discipline their own children using the same method used for their own upbringing. Who is correct in the notion of right and wrong discipline? Is there such a thing as a correct way to spank your child? In my opinion, there is. So, my objective is to show that there is a fine line between the two terms Spanking and Child abuse. A Cambridge Dictionary states that Child Abuse occurs “when adults intentionally treat children in a cruel or violent way.” On the other hand, Spanking in the same dictionary means “to hit a child with the hand, usually several times on the bottom as a punishment.” In this way, the line between the two can be drawn where too much spanking results in bruises and scars on the child. Therefore, parents should not spank their children when they are angry themselves as the spank would turn out to be an unintentional smack. When this occurs, parents tend to accidently take out their frustration on the child. Primarily, this is when Spanking, a form of discipline, starts drifting towards the entire concept of ‘child abuse’.