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Unit V Assignment

Jonathan Jones – 277288

Columbia Southern University

Revision of Literature Review on Parental Methods of Child Discipline

Introduction.

Child discipline is the act of teaching a child how to behave, understand rules, and follow them. There are many methods to discipline a child; some parents use physical punishment while others prefer more humane methods. Corporal punishment is a method of discipline in which a child receives physical pain as punishment for misbehavior.

Corporal punishment has both physical and psychological effects. Some are advantageous to the parents, depending on the individual parent’s experience and their morals. The pain itself from corporal punishment can be a good way to get a child’s attention. Corporal punishment is used to correct a child and help them understand that what they have done was wrong. A child makes an error; they are punished for it somehow; this causes them to rethink their actions and make better decisions in the future. It can sometimes help children learn better than others in certain situations because it gives them an immediate sense of how their actions affect themselves and others around them.

Corporal punishment has some negative effects on a child’s growth and development as well. If used incorrectly, corporal punishment can be psychologically damaging to a child. Although sometimes more severe than others, corporal punishment can lead to lasting psychological effects on a child. A child who is hit often may develop problems with self-esteem and think that they must live up to the expectations of others around them, causing them to feel more worried about what other people think than what they want to do. Children who were hit as children are usually more violent toward their partners in adulthood because the violence was practiced from such a young age.

Corporal punishment is a highly controversial subject that has been related to long-lasting psychological effects on children. This is a widely debated issue among parents and caretakers regarding whether it is right to discipline children in this way. It has been linked with mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, and even suicide. Corporal punishment can be seen as one of the biggest contributors to anxiety in teenagers. Most teenagers who commit suicide have experienced some physical abuse. When a child is hit as a toddler or younger child, they have little control over their actions. Because they do not understand what they did wrong or its severity at such a young age, hitting them can cause them to become fearful of their parents and any adult figures in later years. It is very difficult for adults who were hit as children to trust others and develop trust in themselves.

As such, corporal punishment should be banned as it is a big contributor to many mental disorders. It can cause a child to feel that they must earn the love or attention of those around them to have a happy or safe life. This can cause problems with dealing with authority figures such as the police, teachers, and parents. If this happens to someone who has difficulties understanding others’ feelings and cannot trust them, they may behave in ways that could get them hurt or lead to future accidents. This could also possibly lead the person down a path of further depression and anxiety and eventually suicide. Corporal punishment helps parents get children’s attention and thus help them differentiate good from bad; however, corporal punishment is also a leading contributor to anxiety and teenage suicides.

Corporal punishment should be banned as a method of child discipline as it is a major contributor to anxiety.

Literature Review

Corporal punishment is a method of child discipline in which a child receives physical pain as punishment for misbehavior. Studies have shown that there is a correlation between corporal punishment and anxiety. One thousand adult patients between 19 to 30 years of age had a sample of blood taken. These patients were then asked questions about various traumatic events they may have experienced in their lifetime, including corporal punishment, sexual assaults, car accidents, or natural disasters. The researchers found that 61% of participants reported being subjected to physical abuse as children, with 40% reporting being physically abused more than once.

Physical punishment has been around for a very long time, having been recorded as early as the 16th century. In the early 1800s, punishments such as spanking were widely used in many countries. By the turn of the 20th century, it was commonly believed that it was better to “keep them happy” than to “stun them into obedience” (Lansford & Deater‐Deckard, 2012). Corporal punishment of children during this time has been linked with long-term mental problems, ranging from anxiety and depression to higher rates of suicide (Becker, 1964). Late in the 20th century, studies were done on children who were physically abused as children, and a link between corporal punishment and higher rates of aggression and depression was found.

Most parents use corporal or physical punishment to instill discipline; this is a common form of discipline used in families throughout the world. The basis of corporal punishment is that it allows parents to make their children aware of the consequences of their actions. Corporal punishment acts as a warning to children not to misbehave. Parents hope this will help them recognize when their children are doing something wrong and prevent them from repeating the action in question. This form of punishment can be effective if used correctly. Still, several factors within corporal punishment can negatively affect a child, and they go against the parent’s intent for using corporal punishment.

Corporal punishment is usually performed on younger children who do not understand what they are doing wrong and why they should stop doing it. Most of the time, children who have been physically punished cannot understand the consequences of their actions and misbehave again, which causes parents to then resort to punching or hitting them more brutally. This can cause child abuse, manifesting itself into future problems such as anxiety (Becker, 1964). Studies have shown that adults who were hit as children have higher rates of anxiety than those who did not experience physical abuse during childhood. These adults also experienced a higher rate of depression and suicidal tendencies than those who did not experience physical abuse (Grusec & Goodnow, 1994). This shows a link between childhood trauma such as corporal punishment and mental health later on in life, creating a damaging cycle that could become a serious problem if not resolved.

Anxiety is the most common mental health problem that children experience, with 21% of children showing signs of anxiety disorders. The prevention of child anxiety is highly important due to its prevalence, and physical punishment can act as a risk factor for this. Physical punishment can cause children to become anxious about being hit again, causing anxiety about doing things wrong in the future. Furthermore, corporal punishment is usually directed towards children who cannot understand their actions and what is considered wrong behavior. Children with disabilities find it difficult to learn from punishments in school and elsewhere because they do not understand the consequences of their actions (Grusec & Goodnow, 1994). Similarly, children with anxiety disorders find it hard to learn from physical punishment because they will experience panic attacks whenever they are faced with the situation of being physically punished again.

Conclusion

Corporal punishment may be effective in disciplining children, but it also has negative effects such as anxiety and child abuse. It does not allow parents to understand their child’s feelings; they may resort to harsher punishments in the future. On the other hand, children are unable to see the consequences of their actions, which could lead to more failure. This can cause children to become anxious about their actions and the possible future consequences of them, which can cause more anxiety disorders. Furthermore, physical punishment can cause children to learn bad behavior because of the fear of being hit back. This can create a cycle of anxiety and abuse that is difficult to escape from. Corporal punishment should be banned as a method of child discipline because it is a leading contributor to anxiety.

References

Becker, W. C. (1964). Consequences of different kinds of parental discipline. Review of child development research, 1(4), 169-208.

Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health. (1998). Guidance for effective discipline. Pediatrics, 101(4), 723-728.

Grusec, J. E., & Goodnow, J. J. (1994). Impact of parental discipline methods on the child’s internalization of values: A reconceptualization of current points of view. Developmental psychology, 30(1), 4.

Lansford, J. E., & Deater‐Deckard, K. (2012). Childrearing discipline and violence in developing countries. Child Development, 83(1), 62-75.

Socolar, R. R., Savage, E., & Evans, H. (2007). A longitudinal study of parental discipline of young children. Southern Medical Journal, 100(5), 472-478.

Trickett, P. K., & Kuczynski, L. (1986). Children’s misbehaviors and parental discipline strategies in abusive and nonabusive families. Developmental psychology, 22(1), 115.

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