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Unit VII Assignment

Jonathan Jones – 277288

Columbia Southern University

Corporal Punishment as a Cause for Anxiety

Parents will often punish their children for misbehaving, but when the punishment is excessive or severe enough, it can cause physical and mental damage. For example, if a child is beaten for playing with his toys or using swear words, the child will not learn how to properly behave but will likely continue acting out due to stress. This can lead to anxiety later in life. The parent’s punishment may even cause the child to act out more, leading to feelings of anxiety and distress (Socolar et al., 2007). When a parent abuses their child through corporal punishment, it sets off a chain reaction that will affect the child for the rest of their lives.

Corporal punishment has been shown to have a negative effect on both the physical and mental health of young children. It has been shown to cause anxiety, depression, suicidality, aggression, and substance abuse problems in individuals as adults. Research using children who were subjected to physical abuse found that they exhibited more aggressive behavior and had more problems with stress (Becker, 1964). In terms of anxiety, children who experienced physical abuse exhibited more fear in both childhood and adolescence. Corporal punishment has also been shown to be a cause of aggression, which can be seen in children who were subjected to corporal punishment as children. One survey showed that most parents who physically punish their children thought that they needed more discipline, showing that corporal punishment is not an effective form of discipline (Trickett & Kuczynski, 1986). This is because it does not teach the child what they did wrong, leading to anxiety and depression.

Anxiety can be shown as the classic worrying line. It is a recurring pattern of thoughts and feelings that are not typically harmful but are experienced repetitively (Grusec & Goodnow, 1994). The definition of anxiety also varies from person to person. Furthermore, anxiety can occur in situations that are not associated with personal danger. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) created the current definition of anxiety and is known as the DSM-5 (APA, 2013). Anxiety is a body reaction and may include shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, and muscle tension. It also may cause people to feel like they are in danger. A person who has anxiety will experience constant fear of developing panic attacks. This can occur because one is experiencing a phobia about something or someone that makes them very nervous or afraid, like an elevator or getting on an airplane. Some people have a phobia about driving in the dark, being in large crowds, spiders, etc. Children and adolescents who were subjected to physical punishment have been shown to have a higher prevalence of anxiety than those who were not (Becker, 1964). In one survey, a correlation was made between corporal punishment and anxiety.

In this case, corporal punishment is a significant contributor to anxiety and negative outcomes for those who experience it. Children who experience anxiety have a lower quality of life than those who do not, even if they have no physical health problems. Although anxiety is not always a sign of mental illness, it can be classified as an anxiety disorder when it is severe enough to cause problems in daily life or interfere with activities like school or work. Depending on the severity and duration, an anxiety disorder may be treated with medications and psychological treatments such as counseling. Therefore, it is safe to say that corporal punishment as a method of child discipline should be avoided to prevent the child from developing anxiety disorders that may become a problem in the future.

References

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-5®). American Psychiatric Pub.

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.

Gershoff, E. T. (2002). Corporal punishment, physical abuse, and the burden of proof: Reply to Baumrind, Larzelere, and Cowan (2002), Holden (2002), and Parke (2002).

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.

Hughes, T. (2006). The neglect of children and culture: Responding to child maltreatment with cultural competence and a review of child abuse and culture: Working with diverse families.

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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