Samantha Johnson

Marcia Smith
English 1010
Exploration Project

Corporal Punishment at Home; When to Draw the Line
"Spanking is simply another form of terrorism. It teaches the victims that
might makes right, and that problems can be solved through the use of violence by
the strong against the weak." (Ronald Gray, Volume 49: Nature vs. Nurture and Bad-
Ass kids) The issue of spanking and other forms of physical punishment is a huge
topic in our society today. Many wonder when to draw the line? What are the Pros
and Cons of physical punishment? We see many perspectives on this diverse topic; I
will be talking about some of the basic sides to this topic along with questions
relating to the topic like: when does discipline become corporal punishment and
when does corporal punishment become abuse? Is there a link between physical
punishment and mental illnesses? I will further discuss these questions and how
others answer them. We can see why this topic is so important; it directly affects
children who are our future. I want to open your mind to the consequences negative
and positive of spanking your child; by the end I want you to decide for yourself if
spanking will be a discipline form in your house or wont or maybe sometimes will.
Call it swatting, spanking, hitting it all equates to a big person hitting a
little person. Its a mismatch. (Jan Faull, Discipline Is Constant but Spanking Is
Never OK.) Many people argue that there are too many negative results caused
from spanking. People who believe in these negative affects are strongly opposed to
spanking in homes across the nation and feel it should be outlawed. They feel that
spanking leads to low self-esteem, bullying, and more crimes committed in
Samantha Johnson
Marcia Smith
English 1010
Exploration Project
adulthood, mental disorders and much more. They argue science has proven a link
between these things and spanking. Many studies have been done on this topic; The
Official Journal of Pediatrics did a study on this matter, the study concluded that
harsh physical punishment is linked with mood disorders, anxiety disorders, drug
abuse and personality disorders. They used data from the National Epidemiological
survey on Alcohol and related conditions and used different statistical methods to
conclude this information. (Tracie O. Afifi, PhD, Natalie P. Mota, MA, Patricia
Dasiewicz, MSc, Hariet L. Macmillan, MD, FRCP, and Jitender Sareen, MD, FRCP ,
Official Journal of Pediatrics)(Nestor-Lopez Duran, Why spanking Is Never Okay).
Development and Psychopathology showed, using a similar tactic, the
relation between spanking and aggression toward peers in children. Using a
socialization model they studied 273 diverse boys and girls and studied how they
are punished and how they react towards their peers. The study concluded that
there was a link between aggressions towards peers and being spanked at home.
The children who were spanked at home showed higher levels of aggression
towards their peers; many against spanking feel by spanking your child you are
showing them violence is how you solve your problems and this may be the cause of
more aggression in children who were spanked at home. (Zvi Strassberg, Kenneth A.
Dodge, Gregory S. Pettit, John E. Bates. Spanking In the Home and Childrens
Subsequent Aggression Toward Kindergarten Peers).
A big issue with spanking is when do you draw the line? Those who believe
spanking isnt effective believe parents then make the punishment worse, harder
Samantha Johnson
Marcia Smith
English 1010
Exploration Project
etc. So when does spanking become corporal punishment or is it always corporal
punishment? By definition corporal punishment is punishment to the body of an
offender including the death penalty, whipping, and imprisonment; punishment
administrated by an adult to the body of a child ranging in severity from a slap to a
spanking. So the answer, they are one in the same. When we think of Corporal
Punishment we dont think of spanking but that is clearly what spanking is. So when
does this corporal punishment become abuse? How can you tell the difference, well
Abuse is defined as a corrupt practice or custom, so it is a matter of opinion, it
depends on what one considers corrupt. So those who do not feel it is abuse feel it is
okay. (http://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/corporal%20punishment).
Many judge if its abuse or not based on how soar or red the childs skin is but people
often question that method and feel it is very un ethical.
Spanking is like milk: it does the body good, -or at least the mind.(Selwyn
Duke, New study Finds spanking is Good for Kids). Many feel spanking is a logical
punishment; they feel especially with younger children it communicates and gets
the message across better than other forms of discipline. People feel that spanking
leads to more well rounded adults, and more self disciplined adults.
They feel that previous studies such as the ones mentioned above do not
show actual results. They say that these studies are based on abuse not spanking.
Other studies have shown that spanking leads to more self disciplined well rounded
adults. Marjorie Gunnoe from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan did more
research on the topic her results were that children spanked up to the age of six
Samantha Johnson
Marcia Smith
English 1010
Exploration Project
were better teenagers. She states, The Claims made for not spanking children fail to
hold up. They are not Consistent with data. People feel that spanking conveys the
message the parent is trying to convey more clearly than perhaps a time out, and
feel it leads to more responsible adults. Marjorie Gunnoe also says that, I think
spanking is a dangerous tool, but there are times when there is a job big enough for
a dangerous tool. You just dont use it for all your jobs. (Selwyn Duke, New study
Finds spanking is Good for Kids)(Murray Wardop, Smacked children more
successful later in life).
This brings us to another point; is spanking sometimes okay? Many parents
and people are on the fence about spanking but this perspective of only when
necessary gives them a common ground. People feel that sometimes spanking is a
necessary tool. They feel it depends on the situation. Darah Zeledon says in her blog
that she was firmly against spanking but as she became a mother her perspective
changed. She says, Only when I threaten to tap their rear do they seem to get the
message. She believes spanking is very effective but believes it should only be used
when necessary; such as when dealing with young children who are too young to
understand right from wrong or a conversation about it.( Darah Zeledon,
Sometimes, Spanking Is Okay). Every Child and situation is different and thats
why different discipline methods are needed such as spanking.
From seeing all these sides we can better understand how we are self view
the topic and what we will take from this subject. There is no right or wrong
perspective all have pros and cons. After reading this paper I hope you have a better
Samantha Johnson
Marcia Smith
English 1010
Exploration Project
understanding of spanking and have a more clear perspective on how you will
discipline.