Advantages And Disadvantages Of Corporal Punishment Towards Children By Their Parents

Register to read the introduction… The effects that corporal punishment has on the child’s relationship with their parent are unbelievable. After being on the receiving end of corporal punishment a child often has a heightened sense of fear, anxiety, mistrust, and anger towards the parent (Gershoff, 2002). As in any relationship, trust plays a very important part; and with a child/parent relationship trust is everything. Trust is the most important aspect in any relationship and that begs the question, could you ever trust your mother and father if they beat you or severely disciplined you using corporal punishment? There would most likely be a constant level of fear and anxiety on the part of the child because they would not know what to expect from their parent when it came to discipline. Would it be just a stern talking to or would it be a beating? This would cause a lot of uncertainty and fear and anxiety on the part of the child. The child would feel an emotional distance and lack that close parent-child relationship. If a child is fearful of their parent(s) then, when they are older, they would be less likely to go discuss any problems they may be having and this would cause the parent to miss important changes and events in their child's life and the child would not feel that close relationship with their parents. A child may want to go discuss a problem with their parents, but since they do not feel they can trust their parents, and then they do not confide in …show more content…
Corporal punishment can cause physical harm such as bruises, cuts, concussions, and red marks to your child. While those are visible signs of corporal punishment, it is often the psychological ramifications that leave the most lasting effect on a child. Fear, anxiety, depression, and aggression are just some of the psychological effects of corporal punishment. Corporal punishment causes a fear and lack of trust between parent and child. The effects of corporal punishment often carry consequences into adulthood for those children. While corporal punishment creates a quick stop to an undesirable behavior is does not stop the behavior forever. While, on the other hand, positive reinforcement does not cause any physical harm, its effects are longer lasting towards getting a certain behavior stopped or in continuing a good behavior. Positive reinforcement supports and encourages children of all ages to do better and helps them have higher self-esteem and self-worth. Positive reinforcement can be used for teenagers and adults as well. Everyone needs a little encouragement and a sign that they are doing the right thing. While corporal punishment is still used today, the effects of it are becoming even better known. Punishment has evolved over time and it is my hope that in time, corporal punishment will never be used and in its place positive reinforcement will be used and children will have no need to fear their