For many years now, corporal punishment has been the subject of much date. There are some who believe that corporal punishment is the most effective way to keep children in line, while others see it as an outdated mode of punishment that is no longer necessary in modern society.
If there is one person who sees it as a useful punishment, there is another who views corporal punishment as a form of child abuse. This is why it is important to evaluate the pros and cons that are associated with the usage of corporal punishment, so that an informed decision can be made about its implementation going forward.
List of Pros of Corporal Punishment
1. Less Time Spent On Punishments
While corporal punishment detractors usually point to timeouts and detention as viable alternative to corporal punishment, supporters bring up the vast amounts of time and resources that are used to concoct these sorts of punishments. Corporal punishment is able to deliver the same exact results as these more friendly forms of punishment, in a much shorter time frame.
Instead of forcing a student to spend hours in detention or waiting in a principal or administrator’s office, corporal punishment allows the child to receive their punishment in a much more expeditious manner. The child is able to learn about the true error of their ways faster, whereas detention or suspension may simply encourage the same behaviors that landed them in trouble in the first place.
2. Deters Bad Behavior
Supporters of corporal punishment believe that there is no denying the positive effects of corporal punishment from a behavioral improvement standpoint. Corporal punishment distills discipline to its essence, making it simple for children to understand what they have done wrong. All children are subject to the same punishments where corporal punishment is used in schools, which squelches any sort of favoritism or nepotism.
The next time the child is considering the same actions that led to their earlier punishment, their experiences with corporal punishment remain fresh in their mind, serving as a powerful deterrent. Some children may struggle to grasp the complexities of certain punishments that are more sophisticated. There is no chance of that happening when corporal punishment is used.
3. Lowered Costs For Schools and Teachers
What many corporal punishment detractors fail to realize is that the process of coming up with other punishments for unruly children and making them stick is quite costly. Schools everywhere are struggling to cut costs around the clock and by developing new forms of punishment (or reverting to older ones), these districts can save valuable money that is then funneled back into the quality of their child’s education.
Making costs more affordable for every branch of the educational process should remain a major point of focus going forward. As more and more schools are being forced to cut important programs due to budgetary concerns, any possible alterations that can be made to the disciplinary process that will allow funds to be diverted elsewhere must be explored in full.
List of Cons of Corporal Punishment
1. Lowered Self Esteem For The Punished (and Punisher) Involved
Unfortunately, every child does not have the same response to the implementation of corporal punishment. While some children are able to respond well to this form of punishment and learn a valuable lesson for the future, other children will suffer from a severe blow to their self esteem. Some children may feel as if they are being targeted specifically, which diminishes the effectiveness of the punishment.
The person whose responsibility it is to punish may also experience lowered self esteem and have second thoughts about their actions. Striking a child is never easy, even when they have broken the rules, and the human element must always be considered when changing rules and regulations from what both parties are used to. Otherwise, there could be long term damage done to the relationship between the child and the person punishing them.
2. Children Do Not Always Benefit
It is incredibly reductive to believe that each and every child will benefit from corporal punishment. What works for one child will not always work for another. Some children respond well to corporal punishment and use it as a motivational tool to straighten up and fly right. Other children are more sensitive and may simply become sad and withdrawn after experiencing corporal punishment.
To a more sensitive, intuitive child, corporal punishment can be hard to understand. These children typically respond better to alternative forms of discipline, whether it means taking away a beloved game or toy or even refusing to allow them to watch a favorite television show.
3. Teaches Children About Violence
When a child is raised in a world of corporal punishment, they often internalize these lessons and begin to believe that violence is the answer to every problem that they experience along the way. After all, their parents and teachers struck them every time they disagreed with something they did, so why wouldn’t this mentality work in the real world?
In the majority of instances, violence begets violence. Studies have shown that parents who are abusive typically experienced abuse in their own home growing up, believing it to be a normal method of parenting. Any time a child is struck, it constitutes abuse, which is why those who are against the usage of corporal punishment believe that it has no place in an enlightened society.
