Spanking Argumentative Essay

A quote by Ashley Montagu says, “Any form of corporal punishment or 'spanking' is a violent attack upon another human being's integrity. The effect remains with the victim forever and becomes an unforgiving part of his or her personality.” Spanking, also known as corporal punishment, is a controversial topic. Parents, researchers, and other professional/nonprofessional audiences, debate whether or not using corporal punishment is the most effective form of discipline. There are three leading views on this topic: pro-corporal punishment, anti-corporal punishment, and those who are neutral, also known as the conditional corporal punishment perspective (Kazdin and Benjet 100). Numerous people believe that spanking is an effective form of discipline, while others believe it’s ineffective and leads to detrimental consequences. Those who are neutral, believe the effects spanking has on a child varies by case. With the large amount of research done on this topic, there still isn’t a definitive answer to this debate. Yet, the evidence provided by various studies on the effects spanking can have on a child’s mental and emotional health cannot be ignored. For example, studies have shown that spanking can cause a child to become more violent. Although, …show more content…
Although, this is a commonly adopted definition, the way people define spanking or corporal punishment can vary. For example, in some cases corporal punishment is just the use of spanking to discipline, but for others it may include other forms of physical punishment. Also, not all people solely use their hand to spank the child. Some may use a tool, such as a belt, to spank their child. In this paper, I will focus on the commonly adopted definition of