Corporal Punishment Of Minors At Home Should Be Banned
The problem I want to change is corporal punishment of minors at home. A corporal punishment or a physical punishment is a punishment which is intended to cause physical pain to a person. It is usually inflicted on minors, especially in home and school settings. Corporal punishment is now banned in schools worldwide but it is completely legal in homes in all states. I think that corporal punishment should be banned at home because it causes depression, is ineffective, and children who are exposed to corporal punishment will have problems outside the home. I want to end corporal punishment to better the lives of thousands of children. It will be a step by step process starting in my home state of Massachusetts.
First of all, corporal punishment can lead to depression. There are many types of parents and all have different methods of parenting. According to WebMD The 4 main types are authoritarian, authoritative, permissive, and Uninvolved/neglectful. Authoritarian parenting describes parenting where “children are expected to fall in line no matter what.” Authoritative parenting describes parenting where “parents enforce rules, but not without discussing them and the reasons behind them.” Permissive parenting is when parents try to be their children's best friend, “being nurturing and warm” while also being “reluctant to impose limits'' - according to Parenting Science. The last type of parenting - neglectful parenting is when "parents are completely hands-off" and let their kids do what they want without caring for them according to WebMD. All of these parenting types have their effects on children but the one corporal punishment falls into is authoritarian. Authoritarian parenting causes kids to either become sad or become angry. When they become sad they lose all hope and adopt a pessimistic view of the world and when they become angry they "might be more apt to rebel when they become teenagers'', and “kids who see their parents as bullies might take note and start bullying their peers”. In fact, according to a Ted Talk by Aaron Stark, he explains that he almost became a school shooter due to abusive conditions. Corporal punishment can lead to depression or can even lead to kids becoming abusers themselves.
Second, corporal punishment is ineffective. What parents should ideally do when they punish their children is to teach them what they did wrong and teach them what the right thing to do is. This will correct them in the future, as is done with authoritative parenting. However, research finds that “hitting children does not teach them about responsibility, conscience development and self-control.” according to the American Psychological Association. Elizabeth Gershoff, PhD, an expert on the effects of corporal punishment on children says that "Spanking gets their attention, but they have not internalized why they should do the right thing in the future. They may behave when the adult is there but do whatever they want at other times." Researchers also found that “spanking can elevate a child’s aggression levels as well as diminish the quality of the parent-child relationship." Corporal punishment is ineffective and harmful as well.
Finally, children who are exposed to corporal punishment will have problems outside the home. According to the National Library Of Medicine “Children who experienced corporal punishment in adolescence had an increased risk later in life of depressive symptoms, suicidal thoughts, alcohol abuse, physical abuse of children, and wife beating”. This essentially means that kids who go through corporal punishment will experience a variety of problems in school, work, and life. In school they may become bullies, in work they may have conflicts, and they may even abuse their significant other. Children often take after their parents and their parents provide a significant role model for them - whether it be good or bad. Corporal punishment will make kids end up the exact opposite way their parents want them too, depressed, angry, and violent.
Corporal punishment is one of the most major problems in society. Ending corporal punishment at home will have a major impact on children and will prevent depression, create happier families, and ensure that children have less problems later on in life. Based on the reasons above, ending corporal punishment will create happier children, a better society, and brighter futures.
Resources:
- What Are the Different Parenting Styles?
- Permissive parenting: An evidence-based guide
- I Was Almost A School Shooter - TEDxBoulder
- Physical discipline is harmful and ineffective