The Effects of Physical Punishment

Influence of corporal punishment Discussion on whether to use corporal punishment (spanking, tapping etc) as one form of discipline is a controversial issue. Some parent think that corporal punishment is problematic, others think that corporal punishment can only be used in certain circumstances (such as touching dangerous things or hitting children to touch).

Research on long-term impacts of corporal punishment is consistent and absolutely negative to the results of various child development. The use of corporal punishment is related to many negative social consequences including aggression, destructive behavior at school, lack of reception by colleagues, crime, and illegal acts. The use of corporal punishment by parents may also adversely affect children's cognition and intellectual development. Corporal punishment is related not only to various mental health problems such as anxiety and depression, suicidal thought but also to unsafe attachment and poor relations between children and parents. The overall goal of home discipline in most families is to allow children to internalize values ​​and attitudes that lead to appropriate actions, not relying on external monitoring and control.

The findings on the impact of corporal punishment on child outcomes provide a compelling discussion to support policies that change the use of corporal punishment at home. 2 Children's Problem Center Research group recently reviewed children's guidance and discipline research (Smith et al., 2005). In this article we will summarize and update part of the report. Studies have shown that corporal punishment as a way to punish children is invalid and harmful. In this article, I will present a summary of recent research on corporal punishment and concrete examples. Social, cognitive, mental health, results of moral internalization and family relations, and interactions with culture and ethnicity. Since most of the discussion about effects arises from the difficulty of agreeing to the definition, it is important to first clarify some definitions.