Jordan Ribadeneira 4-8-14 ENG 102 Spanking Children Should be eliminated as a form of discipline in the U.S.

1 Studies show that over 60% of families still use physical punishment despite all the recent evidence that shows that spanking can actually be detrimental to children (Holinger 1). Spanking can usually be defined as hitting with the flat of the hand usually on the buttocks for punishment or for stopping a behavior (Block, 1) and also includes hitting with a belt, paddling with an object (such as a stick or a large wooden spoon) and slapping with an open hand on the face (Moninger 1). Spanking children should be stopped because it teaches children violence, isnt even very effective, and can actually be damaging to the child. Studies have shown that spanking teaches kids the wrong values and in some cases can even be considered hypocritical. Spanking, essentially, teaches kids that if someone doesnt do something right, they deserve to be hit. Dr. Barbara Greenberg, a psychologist that specializes in parenting, teens, and family, is also concerned with this message that children are being taught. In Sari Zeidlers article, To Spank or Not to Spank, Where Do You Draw the Line? Dr.

Identification of the topic: Spanking children should be stopped and parents who currently spank should be made aware of the consequences. Primary Purpose: To inform the reader of the negative effects of spanking children Secondary purposes: Change peoples opinion on spanking or at least make them think twice Primary Audience: Parents who spank Secondary Audience: Future parents, teachers, and caretakers who may consider spanking. Secondary Audience: Parents who are against spanking, or future parents

Greenberg is quoted saying, All through your life you're going to have conflicts, in marriage, with bosses. But you're not going to be grabbing people and hitting them; you'll lose your job" (2). Parents who use spanking as their go-to punishment arent teaching their children the necessary skills needed in order to deal with conflicts properly. In other cases, spanking may be hypocritical. For example, In Bonnie Rochmans article, The First Real-Time Study of Parents Spanking Their Kids, George Holden, a psychology professor at Southern Methodist University, mentioned that one mother in the study hit her toddler after the toddler either hit or kicked the mother, admonishing, This is to help you remember not to hit your mother (2). The mother had hit the child in order to stop the child from hitting? No doubt that the child was confused on why he could get hit, but he couldnt hit others. Another message children get when they are spanked is that if you are older and bigger than the other person, you can hit them to get your way. In Kitty OCallaghans article, Is it Okay to Spank? Murray Straus, Ph.D., professor of sociology and co-director of the Family Research Laboratory at the University of New Hampshire, acknowledges the irony by asking, Why is it okay for an adult to hit a child when it isn't even acceptable for an adult to pick on someone his own size?" (2). The act of spanking, itself infringes on the basic human right not to be hit (Sack 3). Spanking sends children the wrong message and can be, in certain situations, even hypocritical. As if teaching kids the wrong lessons wasnt bad enough, many psychologists believe that spanking isnt as effective as some parents believe it to be. Many parents believe that they are teaching their children good behaviors and stopping the bad ones, but are they really? What goes through a childs head when they are getting spanked? In the article, Whats the Problem with Spanking? the author breaks down what is actually happening during a spanking.

When a child is spanked, his or her limbic system (the emotional center of the brain, and the part of the mind that mediates learning and understanding) goes into alarm mode. The childs brain clearly perceives spanking as an occasion of danger, and responds accordingly.

For the child, it is an experience of being small and unable to control an overwhelming and unpredictable force. In this state, his mind can learn nothing. His prefrontal cortex, the center of reason and judgment, shuts down. Hence, a childs behavior during and after a spanking is not thoughtful behavior. Its reactive (2).

So by spanking a child, the only thing that he learns is that someone who he loves hit him and caused him pain, for some reason (2). Because he doesnt understand the lesson the parent was trying to teach him through spanking, he may actually start to resent the parent and become aggressive or withdraw (2). When the punishment comes again, the child becomes more frightened and loses control of behavior more often (2). While there is a temporary behavior change the cost the parents end up paying isnt worth it. The child loses their sense of safety, his ability to reason, to cooperate, to learn, and to trust (2). Once a parent incorporates spanking to their list of punishments, it usually becomes their primary punishment. When spanking doesnt work, parents may increase the force put into the spank, which increases the risk of abuse (Sack 2). Benjamin Siegel, M.D., chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health, states, Theres no reason to get physical with a child when other discipline tactics are more effective (Moninger 1). This isnt to say that spanking doesnt ever work for child, but there are definitely more efficient ways to make a child

understand the difference between good and bad behavior. Spanking is usually only effective for a short period of time and there are more effective ways of punishment that dont involving hitting.

Spanking has also been proven to cause negative effects on children. In the article, The Great Spanking Debate, the author, Jeannette Moninger, mentions the results of a study done in 2010 by Pediatrics on 3-year-olds who were spanked more than twice a month were 50% more likely to exhibit hostile tendencies by age 5 (4). Another study in 2002 found that children who were spanked were at a significantly higher risk for aggression, depression, and relationship problems both as children and, later, as adults (4). In Paul Holingers article, Why Do We Still Spank (Hit) Children? The Problem with Physical (Corporal) Punishment, Holinger points out that hitting a child elicits precisely the feelings one does not want to generate in a child: distress, anger, fear, shame, and disgust (1). Greenburg also states Physical punishment instills a feeling of shame which also leads to depression or anxiety (Zeidler 2). Po Broonson, coauthor of NurtureShock, says, Expressed anger and hostility at children always is destructive, and anger can come across in many and forms, physical and psychological (Zeidler 2). In the article, Do Parents Really Know Best When Disciplining Their Children? by David Sack, A study by Murray Straus of the Family Research Lab was brought up to show more effects that spanking has on children Straus reviewed more than four decades of research, including longitudinal data from more than 7,000 U.S. families as well as results from a 32-nation study, which shows spanking slows cognitive development and increases antisocial behavior. Antisocial behavior, in turn, increases the risk of later

substance abuse. Straus also discovered that college students who were spanked as children are more likely to engage in criminal behavior, even if they grew up with helpful and loving parents (2). In the same article by Sack, another study was mentioned that found that children who were spanked were more likely to develop mental health issues later on in life (3). Spanking can also affect a childs self-image. Sometimes when a parent spanks a child, the child could interpret that they are bad, weak or less valued (3). While its possible that some children are naturally resilient, most children are not and can be easily hurt by spanking (3). If spanking is so detrimental to children, then why do parents risk it?

Many parents who spank their children are either uninformed of the negative impact that it could have on their child, were spanked as children themselves, or believe that the Bible tells them to do so. Parents who are uniformed of the undesirable effects that spanking has on their children are more likely to change their views. In the article, Educating Parents About Harmfulness of Child Abuse, Spanking Changes Their Attitudes, the author, Anthony Rivas, writes about a group of researchers who wanted to see if they could change the parents perspective on spanking. Out of 263 parents who had been spanking their children, almost half (46.7 percent) changed their minds (1). This shows that convincing people to terminate spanking might be possible. Child psychologist, George Holden says that this is because Parents spank with good intentions they believe it will promote good behavior, and they dont intend to harm the child (1). People who were spanked as a child are much harder to convince. They usually say, I was spanked, and I turned out OK. Its clear that Barbara Greenberg strongly disagrees when she is quoted saying, I think those people saying they turned out OK are lucky and

second they might have turned out more OK if they werent spanked (Zeidler 2). In the article, Is it Okay to Spank?, Straus states her disapproval of the I turned out okay statement by saying, I could say, I smoked my whole life and Im okay but that doesnt mean the smoking isnt bad for you (3). In the article, The Center for Effective Discipline, the author says that even though the adults knows why they were spanked now and some may even believe that they deserved it, getting spanked was an emotional event that is sometimes looked back on with great anger or sadness (2). In the article, Spanking Should Be Illegal, the author, Kerby Alvy, points out that many opposed to the banning of spanking make a distinction between ordinary or normal corporal punishment which didnt leave bruises to abusive punishment, which leaves bruises, welts, scars (2). Alvy also says that beating spouses was considered normal not too long ago (2). Those against spanking also didnt seem to acknowledge that abusive corporal punishment usually escalated from normal punishment (2). Lastly, the more religious types look to the bible to excuse spanking. The phrase, spare the rod spoil the child, is used frequently, although incorrectly. This phrase, while it does most likely derive from the Bible in Proverbs 13:24, "He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes", actually directly comes from the satirical poem written by Samuel Butler. Looking at the actual verse in the Bible however, it does, on the surface, appear to excuse spanking. However, there are many things in the Bible that arent meant to be taken literally. As explained in the article, Parenting by the Book, the rod was actually a tool that shepherds had used to guide their sheep and keep them safe (1). So in this quote, it is basically saying that if you withhold guidance from your child you dont love him. Looking at it this way, the Bible says nothing about proper punishment for a child, but only that it must be effective and that the person delivering the punishment must act righteously (1). This could cancel out spanking because

various studies have been proving that spanking is not effective and if a parent spanks out of anger, then the parent is not following the Bible. There may, however, be certain things that require spanking, such as if the child is immediate danger. For example, if a child is about to touch a hot pan, there isnt enough time to reason with them, a small swat to the hand (which some may not consider spanking) and a detailed explanation as to why its dangerous. What can we do about spanking? The best part is, something is being done. On April 30th there is a Spank Out day, which has been in effect since 1998 in order to increase the attention of spanking and other corporal punishment and to promote non-violent ways of helping children stop bad behavior. All parents, guardians, and caretakers are encouraged to refrain from hitting their children on this day and to seek alternative methods of discipline (Spank Out Day 1). Parents who spank need to be re-educated on how to deal with their children and this is a good way to go about it (Fletcher 1). Laws also need to be changed, if spanking could be made illegal or at least acknowledge a limit on how far spanking can actually go (2). Spanking children should be stopped because its teaching kids the wrong messages, it isnt as effective as other methods, and it can have a seriously toxic on their future. While there are very few instances where spanking might be considered acceptable, it shouldnt be considered a regular punishment. Why is it that if we hit people who are adults, its considered assault, but if we hit a child, thats considered parenting? More than 30 countries have already stopped spanking their children, its Americas turn (Sack 2).

Works cited Alvy, Kerby. "Spanking Should Be Illegal." Child Abuse. Ed. Heidi Williams. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2009. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "Banning Corporal Punishment: What the Arguments Tell Us about Our Character Regarding the Treatment of Children." Center for the Improvement of Child Caring, 2007.Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 4 Mar. 2014. Rivas, Anthony. "Educating Parents About Harmfulness Of Child Abuse, Spanking Changes Their Attitudes." Http://www.medicaldaily.com/. N.p., 29 Jan. 2014. Web. Holinger, Paul C. "Why Do We Still Spank (Hit) Children? The Problem With Physical (Corporal) Punishment." Psychology Today: Health, Help, Happiness + Find a Therapist. N.p., 28 Aug. 2009. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. Moninger, Jeannette. "The Great Spanking Debate." Parents Magazine. N.p., Jan. 2012. Web. 20 Apr. 2014. "What's the Problem with Spanking? - Hand in Hand Parenting." Hand in Hand Parenting. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2014. Zeidler, Sari. "To Spank or Not to Spank, Where Do You Draw the Line?"CNN. Cable News Network, 01 Jan. 1970. Web. 21 Apr. 2014. Block, Nadine. "The Center for Effective Discipline." The Center for Effective Discipline. N.p., Mar. 2008. Web. 21 Apr. 2014. Rochman, Bonnie. "The First Real-Time Study of Parents Spanking Their Kids | TIME.com." Time. Time, 28 June 2011. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. Sack, David. "Do Parents Really Know Best When Disciplining Their Children?" The Huffington

Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 06 Mar. 2014. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. O'Callaghan, Kitty. "Is It Okay to Spank?" Parenting. Parenting, n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2014. Fletcher, John. "Positive parenting, not physical punishment." CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal 4 Sept. 2012: 1339. Academic OneFile. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. Deis, Robert. "This Day in Quotes." : Spare the Rod and Spoil the Child Is Not in the Bible and May Not Mean What You Think. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Apr. 2014. "Proverbs 13:24." Proverbs 13:24. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2014. "Spank Out Day." The Center for Effective Discipline. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Apr. 2014.

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