Is physical discipline an effective tool to discipline children?

Posted March 2021

By Eva Wu

Staff Reporter

Is physical discipline an effective tool to discipline children? There are numerous parents that would say “yes” as an answer to this question, as physical discipline is commonly accepted. Though, is it really? Does hitting children make them learn what is right and what is wrong?

According to the APA, research suggests that physically punishing children does not teach them “responsibility, conscience development and self-control.” Finding that such discipline can lead to “emotional, behavioral, and academic problems over time," including the point that children learn from their paternal figures. With physical discipline, parents may be educating their children to resolve problems with physical aggression. In addition, researchers found that spanking can raise aggression levels and “diminish the quality of the parent-child relationship.” The APA reported that over 80 percent of mothers spank their children between kindergarten and third grade.

With the normalization of physical discipline in many parts of the world, individuals fail to recognize the effects, or perhaps even refuse to acknowledge it. Originally, I believed that there was no wrong in this type of teaching. With the mindset that if a child misbehaved, this punishment to lecture them would not be a problem. But then I wondered, is teaching a child through pain really the right solution?

Physical punishment does not only raise aggression levels. Research shows that slapping and spanking was linked to “psychiatric disorders in adulthood.” It is associated with a variety of mental health issues found in children to adults, “including depression, unhappiness, anxiety, feelings of hopelessness, use of drugs and alcohol, and general psychological maladjustment.” Researchers are discovering that it is also connected to “slower cognitive development” and negatively affects academic attainment. More information is on www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.

There are no positive effects found in physical punishment. Research only provides negative outcomes, which takes me back to the question of “is physical discipline an effective tool to make children behave?” In my personal opinion, this isn’t a good method to discipline children. I don't think it should be used at all. In addition, physical discipline isn’t always just merely light spanking and slapping. It can go farther. This method does not make things “better,” rather it is the exact opposite.

I think an effective way to discipline children is to use supportive words, communicating with children about what behaviors are acceptable and not acceptable, and then listen to them. It's also important that parents care for themselves. Exhausted and stressed parents become impatient, thus their ability to come up ways to discipline their child can be less effective, as stated in www.psychologytoday.com.

It is significant for parents and those who desire children to recognize the effects and teach their children properly. Future parents who refuse to acknowledge the negative outcomes of physical discipline, or are incapable of handling children patiently, should not have children.