Physical Punishment and the Effects
Brianna Ascencio
ENGWR 300 T/Th 7:30
Dr. Muñoz
November 19, 2013
Research Paper
Physical Punishment and the Effects A fearful child walks slowly, but carefully to his house from school. Walking home feels faster than usual and before he knows it, he walks into the front door as quietly as possible. He gets a sort of relief when he finds out he is home alone. Seconds later, he gets that turned feeling in his stomach again. He knows he awaits for the worst. What he has done wasn’t so bad, but it’s enough for him to know he will probably get a spanking hard enough to make him cry of pain. The child awaits in fear as he counts down the minutes till his father arrives, knowing that the worst is yet to come. Spanking may be best described as corporal punishment. So what exactly is corporal punishment? Corporal punishment includes a number of physical actions to, "Inflict pain and discomfort, including pinching, pulling ears and hair, shaking, slapping smacking, spanking, swatting, hitting, kicking, punching, paddling, using switches, hair brushes, belts and ironing cords, and having children kneel on gravel or a grate" (Watkins 22). This kind of punishment used towards kids isn’t always the right approach to correcting an unwanted behavior. But who should have the ultimate authority in deciding what is right for the child? Because there are different views on corporal punishment within society and culture and there is a lot of controversy between the government and parents about who makes the ultimate decision for a child, there should be a ban to corporal punishment to reduce the amount of children who are traumatized with the side effects that corporal punishment taken too far brings. The state of California allows for “spanking” for necessary discipline with the requirement of not being excessive. The California law punishes for different kinds of child abuse such as neglect and sexual and emotional abuse. What exactly does it take to make corporal
ENGWR 300 T/Th 7:30
Dr. Muñoz
November 19, 2013
Research Paper
Physical Punishment and the Effects A fearful child walks slowly, but carefully to his house from school. Walking home feels faster than usual and before he knows it, he walks into the front door as quietly as possible. He gets a sort of relief when he finds out he is home alone. Seconds later, he gets that turned feeling in his stomach again. He knows he awaits for the worst. What he has done wasn’t so bad, but it’s enough for him to know he will probably get a spanking hard enough to make him cry of pain. The child awaits in fear as he counts down the minutes till his father arrives, knowing that the worst is yet to come. Spanking may be best described as corporal punishment. So what exactly is corporal punishment? Corporal punishment includes a number of physical actions to, "Inflict pain and discomfort, including pinching, pulling ears and hair, shaking, slapping smacking, spanking, swatting, hitting, kicking, punching, paddling, using switches, hair brushes, belts and ironing cords, and having children kneel on gravel or a grate" (Watkins 22). This kind of punishment used towards kids isn’t always the right approach to correcting an unwanted behavior. But who should have the ultimate authority in deciding what is right for the child? Because there are different views on corporal punishment within society and culture and there is a lot of controversy between the government and parents about who makes the ultimate decision for a child, there should be a ban to corporal punishment to reduce the amount of children who are traumatized with the side effects that corporal punishment taken too far brings. The state of California allows for “spanking” for necessary discipline with the requirement of not being excessive. The California law punishes for different kinds of child abuse such as neglect and sexual and emotional abuse. What exactly does it take to make corporal
Cited: Shannon, Joyce B. Child Abuse Sourcebook: Basic Consumer Health Information about the Physical, Sexual, and Emotional Abuse of Children, with Additional Facts about Neglect, Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy (MSBP), Shaken Baby Syndrome, and Controversial Issues Related to Child Abuse, Such as Withholding Medical Care, Corporal Punishment, and Child Maltreatment in Youth Sports, and Featuring Facts about Child Protective Services, Foster Care, Adoption, Parenting Challenges, and Other Abuse Prevention Efforts ; along with a Glossary of Related Terms and Resources for Additional Help and Information. Detroit, MI: Omnigraphics, 2009. Print. "Physical Punishment." Personal interview. 13 Nov. 2013. Watkins, Heidi. Child Abuse. Detroit: Greenhaven, 2009. Print.