SPANKING
Wow! What a controversial subject this is! For years, there has been a significant debate over the pros and cons of using corporal punishment, spanking, as a disciplinary tool. Opponents say that it damages a child’s self esteem; it teaches that hitting is OK; it emphasizes control over others, and can even result in delinquency. The argument from the proponents usually centers around the idea that, “I was spanked and I turned out just fine.”
The truth is that in spite of all the research, debate, and speculation, the evidence remains inconclusive. Most of the time, the research is done by a particular individual or group that already holds a strong opinion about spanking. This is called experimenter bias and has long been recognized as a powerful and legitimate “invalidator” of research results. When this is the case, as any good researcher will tell you, the conclusions are suspect.
Unfortunately, the studies undertaken by neutral, unbiased organizations such as universities and hospitals are weak. Parameters ranging from lack of a valid control group to accounting for intangibles, such as parental attitudes, and the quality of the parent/child relationship, are considerable obstacles to overcome.
So, we are left with people believing what they want, based on the emotions stemming from their own experience. It is certainly easy to understand why people may have strong feelings against spanking – especially those who were spanked severely or came from homes where love and affection was lacking or non-existent.
What’s a parent to do? This is a very important point, because many parents are stymied in their efforts to provide proper guidance and discipline for their children. Consequently, they do nothing, or worse, they just yell – which, besides being a totally ineffective disciple technique, can also have detrimental effects on a child’s self worth. In the end, you end up with an undisciplined child – which is, potentially, just as detrimental to the child’s future as the most severe punishments.
Personally, I’m not opposed to spanking under certain circumstances. Honestly, I don’t believe that it teaches a child to hit, nor do I believe that it damages self esteem. BUT, to be effective it must:
…..be administered by a loving parent.
…..be administered as a last resort and after all other efforts of correcting the behavior have failed.
…..never be done while the parent is angry – too easy to lose control.
…..be done with your hand on the child’s bottom – never risk injury to your child.
Of course, there is a world of difference in beating your child and administering a spanking for corrective reasons. I realize there will be many that will disagree. If you choose to not spank – great! Just be sure that you do something to address your child’s misbehavior – and that it works.
©2012 Raise A Kid RIGHT
Wow! What a controversial subject this is! For years, there has been a significant debate over the pros and cons of using corporal punishment, spanking, as a disciplinary tool. Opponents say that it damages a child’s self esteem; it teaches that hitting is OK; it emphasizes control over others, and can even result in delinquency. The argument from the proponents usually centers around the idea that, “I was spanked and I turned out just fine.”
The truth is that in spite of all the research, debate, and speculation, the evidence remains inconclusive. Most of the time, the research is done by a particular individual or group that already holds a strong opinion about spanking. This is called experimenter bias and has long been recognized as a powerful and legitimate “invalidator” of research results. When this is the case, as any good researcher will tell you, the conclusions are suspect.
Unfortunately, the studies undertaken by neutral, unbiased organizations such as universities and hospitals are weak. Parameters ranging from lack of a valid control group to accounting for intangibles, such as parental attitudes, and the quality of the parent/child relationship, are considerable obstacles to overcome.
So, we are left with people believing what they want, based on the emotions stemming from their own experience. It is certainly easy to understand why people may have strong feelings against spanking – especially those who were spanked severely or came from homes where love and affection was lacking or non-existent.
What’s a parent to do? This is a very important point, because many parents are stymied in their efforts to provide proper guidance and discipline for their children. Consequently, they do nothing, or worse, they just yell – which, besides being a totally ineffective disciple technique, can also have detrimental effects on a child’s self worth. In the end, you end up with an undisciplined child – which is, potentially, just as detrimental to the child’s future as the most severe punishments.
Personally, I’m not opposed to spanking under certain circumstances. Honestly, I don’t believe that it teaches a child to hit, nor do I believe that it damages self esteem. BUT, to be effective it must:
…..be administered by a loving parent.
…..be administered as a last resort and after all other efforts of correcting the behavior have failed.
…..never be done while the parent is angry – too easy to lose control.
…..be done with your hand on the child’s bottom – never risk injury to your child.
Of course, there is a world of difference in beating your child and administering a spanking for corrective reasons. I realize there will be many that will disagree. If you choose to not spank – great! Just be sure that you do something to address your child’s misbehavior – and that it works.
©2012 Raise A Kid RIGHT