Essay Sample: Spanking Effects on Children

Spanking, a form of corporal punishment, has been around since the 18th century and is still used today (Wickman). This violent form of discipline functions as the act of using physical force to slap someone’s buttock, performed out of frustration. This remains a serious issue that can lead to more problems than just an upset child. Some people may believe that if a child is not spanked they will grow up being a menace. Without punishment, yes, a child may grow up being a terror, but other methods to discipline children exist. Children spanked are more susceptible to developing mental and emotional problems. Someone could argue that spanking brings about immediate compliance, but the long-term effects of spanking are not worth the consequence of scarred children. 

Those who agree with spanking believe that spanking has no direct effect on mental and emotional health, which remains a false statement. Spanked children turn out to be more inclined to developmental and emotional problems. Spanked children wince as someone raises their hand towards them. By physically harming a child through spanking, they are learning to be fearful of being spanked rather than learning to respect the rules (Spanking: The case against it (ages 1-3). A scare factor is ingrained into children's minds, that the average hug or smile can look like a threat. When spanked, the children are not learning what they did wrong, so they will think any advance towards them is going to result in a spanking. Spanked children are also more prone to antisocial behavior and “Preschool and school-age children — and even adults — [who have been] spanked are more likely to develop anxiety and depression disorders or have more difficulties engaging” (Anderson). There is no benefit to society if kids are antisocial or depressed.  When an adult spanks them, the child will believe they deserve that abusive behavior. They will start to have low self-esteem and a negative image of themselves. Not only will they become scared, but they can also become stressed. According to Kendra Nenia, child development and family center teacher, the child will become stressed due to the constant worry of returning to an abusive household. This stress can also cause a lower IQ of students. Not only is the child’s IQ affected, but so are the emotional responses. 

Part of the emotional health affected endures increased feelings of aggression. Spanked children can be quiet and sit in the corner, but they can also become a bully.  Erin Dower, a publisher for familyeducation, claims “Occasional spanking of a 3-year-old child – even just a few times a month – may lead to aggressive behavior, or bullying, at age 5.” Children will develop the belief that if they receive beatings, for being bad, that everyone who does something they don’t like should deserve them as well. When aggression resides at home, some kids tend to take out their aggression on kids their age who seem vulnerable to them.  One could argue that kids don’t learn aggression and it is natural, but bullying is learned. According to Kettelhut, a coordinator at the Center for Effective Discipline, there is an apparent relationship between spanked children and their willingness to use aggression to solve conflicts with peers. Children are going to base their behavior off of their parents' choice of disciplinary methods (Kettelhut). Kids growing up in a household with no corporal punishment will not become bullies because they won't know how to act like a bully. Children who do grow up in households where there is corporal punishment are bullied at home and are taught those actions. Similar to how spanking leads to feelings of depression and anxiety, so can the act of bullying. Children who develop depression at home will try to cause happy peers around them to have similar feelings. There is a chain effect that occurs, starting at the homes of spanked children. Adults need to begin using the many other methods of discipline to end this abusive chain. 

Many people will argue that a child not spanked will break rules, but that is not true. It is the children that are spanked, that will be more aggressive and rule breakers (Klass). Kids who are spanked are being shown that it is okay to hit people. They are going to develop the belief that violence is appropriate. With the belief that using aggression is okay, children will then adapt aggressive behavior. The goal of raising children is to raise kind human beings, who follow the rules of our society. The kids who are more prone to do so are the ones not spanked. Supporters of spanking could argue that children learn their lesson by being spanked, but the only lesson they are learning is not to do that action around the person who spanks them. They are not learning why the action is bad or why they should avoid doing it.  Parents should never resort to spanking when there are plenty of other methods of disciplining children. 

There are forms of discipline that require action, and others that are verbal. One method that many parents use is time-outs. A time-out serves as a disciplinary method that allows a child to sit away from others and think about what they have done wrong. Some people believe that sitting a child in a corner alone does nothing for the child, but when a child can sit and think about why they are being punished, they can realize what was wrong with their action and why it is punishable. If they are punished by a swat across their butt, they will not think about what they did wrong, but rather how the adult just hit them. 

Another method that shows children their wrongdoings, is taking away privileges. This technique receives criticism for being lenient. Adults argue that taking away privileges is not a punishment, but in today's world this technique is really effective. Young children now spend much time behind their screens and are devastated when they are taken away. If the child is younger and didn’t pick up their toys, no matter how many times they were asked to, the parent can take away their tv or iPad privileges. This technique can even work for high school students. If the teen is not listening, the parent can make their curfew earlier, ground them, take away their phone, or anything that can teach them their behavior will not be tolerated.  To make this technique more efficient, the parent can allow the child to get the privilege back the next day by doing positive behaviors. By complementing the positive behavior, the child can learn what is right versus what is wrong. If the child picks up the toy and is shown appreciation, they will start doing so more often. 

Methods that are the most controversial forms of discipline are talking to the child. Many people will argue that there needs to be an action involved in punishment, such as spanking. Children are not going to learn from an action if they are not made aware of the problem. Without discussing the problem, they will never understand what they did wrong. Children cannot understand all of the occurrences in life that are wrong, nor all that is right. A child who leaves the door open might not understand what is wrong with it. They need to be made verbally aware of the consequences of their actions. Modeling the activity for the child could work as well. If parents do not want their children to swear, then they need to be made aware of the language they use around their children.  If they tend to use curse words, their child will as well. With kids, it is monkey see, monkey do. Children will mimic actions they see other people performing. If they witness an adult jaywalking, they will think that it is okay to walk in the middle of the road.

Although the acceptance of corporal punishment has seen a decline in America, according to Smith, two-thirds of Americans still approve of parents spanking their children. The act of using physical force, spanking, on a child is not acceptable, and never will be. Some adults may argue that they were spanked and they turned out just fine, but that is not true of most people who were spanked. Spanking can lead to mental and emotional problems along with lower IQs. There are many alternatives to spanking, such as time-outs, discussing the problem, and teaching young children right from wrong. The act of spanking should never be resorted to and leads to more than just an anxious child. There are many more behavioral effects, such as “Children who were physically punished were more likely to endorse hitting as a means of resolving their conflicts with peers and siblings. Parents who had experienced frequent physical punishment during their childhood were more likely to believe it was acceptable, and they frequently spanked their children. Their children, in turn, often believed spanking was an appropriate disciplinary method” (Smith). When children grow up thinking spanking is the only way to discipline or solve problems, the cycle will never stop.  Children not spanked may be rotten, but are far better off than those regulated with force. Parents need to lower their hands and put more effort towards ensuring the health and safety of their children.