Devenport 1

Olivia Devenpot

Allison Fernley

English 1010

15 April 2019

Would Removing Spanking be More Beneficial?

Spanking, why should parents veer away from spanking? Many studies over the years

have shown many reasons to prove that spanking a child can cause harm not only physical harm

but mental harm as well. Over the years there has been a dramatic decrease in carpal punishment.

I have read many articles that back up my view on keeping the hand off the child and using a

more effective less harmful way of punishment. Shanker Vadntam explains in on of his articles,

“There is no situation where a child should be spanked.” He gives two great points in this article.

“The bottom line is that corporal punishment is associated with numerous risks for children,” and

“parents should avoid using corporal punishment and instead use nonphysical and more positive

types of discipline that we know are effective.” It highlights that using punishment in ways like

taking a child’s cellphone or dessert away after dinner is just if not more effective then corporal

punishment. This article places an importance on parents trying to move away from spanking.

It is important to understanding that there is always another way to discipline you child

without using a harmful way. Vadntam wrote an article to bring light to parents and future

parents about the effects on spanking children. That these opinions not only have studies shown

that prove corporal punishment is harming children. Additionally, Vadntams article effectively

explains aggression in older children tends to rise with spanking. The data shared through

research draws on emotion because it highlights the damage you cause on young children when
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they are spanked. I believe there are far more less abusive ways to punish your children. Not

only are these less harmful ways more effective but it causes less harm to children. Children will

grow up to be less aggressive to others. I have done countless amounts of research on the

negative effects that punishing you’re your children by spanking them. There is a lot of research

behind why not to do it.

LNP Media Group asserts, “Researchers have found that the more a parent spanks a child

for misbehaving, the worse, over time, the child behaves.” In this article they point out that:

“Behavior got worse in a child with more spanking regardless of how much love, affection and

attention the parents showed the child,” and “when parents attempt to correct their child’s

behavior by spanking, it backfires.” Parents use non-physical alternatives to teach children good

behavior. Proving the large effects of spanking.

In recent studies they showed the level of a child’s anti-social behavior in kids ages 6-9

after being spanked. In the study they measured the amount of time the child was being spanked

every week for four years. The data showed that the less time the child was spanked during the

week the better the misbehaving score was. Straus said. “For those whose mothers spanked once

a week or twice a week, for two year, their misbehavior score was higher. And the highest of all

were the kids whose mothers spanked them three or more times during the week. They got

worse.”

It is proven through evidence that children who are spanked multiple times a week are

more likely to misbehave then children who are not spanked at all. I have come across multiple

studies that have proved that using time-outs and the withdrawal of certain privileges are more

effective in children and young adults.

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“Physical punishment doesn’t work to get kids to comply, so parents think they need to

keep escalating it. That is why it is so dangerous.” There is a program that teaches parents to use

positive reinforcement and effusive praise to reward children for good behavior. Physical

punishment can work momentarily to stop problematic behaviors, because children are afraid of

being hit, but it doesn’t work in the long term and can make kids more aggressive. Physical

discipline is being viewed as a violation of children’s human rights that 30 countries have

banned physical punishment in all settings. There is a big importance in using Applied

Behavioral Analysis and teaching new skills to parents. It is shown that it is the best approach if

parent stays calm during a child’s tantrum, even though that may seem hard at times.

The APA is an organization who have research findings to prove that positive

reinforcement is more effective for children. Around the world, 30 countries have banned

physical punishment to children in all settings, including the home. There is a negative effect and

harm that spanking your child can cause. “You cannot punish out these bad behaviors that you

do not want,” We are not giving up an effective technique. We are saying this is a horrible thing

that does not work.

It is important to understand that many studies have shown that physical punishment-

including spanking, hitting, and other means of causing pain- can lead to increased aggression,

antisocial behavior, physical injury and mental health problems for children. Most articles about

spanking all have very similar points on how it is not the way to discipline and causes harm.
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Postmedia Network Inc. explains, “Spanking is a quick and easy response to unruly

behavior, but it’s no solution. If spanking did curb naughty behavior, it would be used less and

less.” The harmful effects of raising a hand to a defenseless child is mounting. Postmedia writes,

“Most cases of child abuse start with spanking. When the child who is spanked repeats the

offence, he or she is likely to be spanked again harder.” When a child gets spanked the injuries

that aren’t visible are the emotional scars, including loss of self-esteem. That loss of self-esteem

can last a lifetime.

PNI is a publisher who published this article to prove that spanking causes harm to young

children. PNI experts have done research and some U.S states and European countries, including

Sweden Finland, Denmark, Norway and Austria, have made it illegal for parents to spank their

kids. Their opinion not only holds a great value on which spanking is indeed abuse to children.

Additionally, the article effectively explains how children who are spanked learn that problems

are solved with violence, says researchers in Germany. The data shared draws on emotion

because it points out the negative and harmful effects spanking your child can cause.

Spanking our children is a problem we can solve; parents need to become more educated

on this matter and know the research behind what they are doing to their children can potentially

cause more harm then good. It is stated in many articles that when a child is spanked their

attention is no longer on what they are being punished for but now the focus is on the fact that

the parent just spanked them. So, let’s educate our parents to use a more positive effective way

of punishment.
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Work Cited

LNP Media Group. “Behavior worse after spanking, study says.” Lancaster New Era. 16 Aug.

1997. 6 Mar 2019. https://search.proquest.com/docview/374894854?accountid=28671

Vedantam, Shanker. “Study: Harm Outweighs Benefits of Spanking.” The Washington Post. 26

Jun. 2002. 6 Mar 2019 https://serch.proquest.com/docview/409314730?accountid=28671

Smith L, Brendan. “The Case Against Spanking.” American Psychological Association. Apr.

2012, 26 Mar. 2019. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/04/spanking

The Windsor Star. “Hitting kids: No reason, no logic.” American Psychological Association.

Sept. 1994, 26 Mar. 2019.

https://search.proquest.com/docview/254081368?accountid=28671