What is Spanking and Corporal Punishment: What You Need to Know
The concept of spanking has existed since the dawn of parenting and child-rearing. Many parents use spanking as a way to discipline their children and to instill proper behavior. For a lot of parents, corporal punishment is an act done out of love.
You might have had an experience of spanking as well during your childhood. Many parents can recall when their mother, father, or teacher had spanked them for misbehaving. For some, it could be a fond memory. But others might find it traumatizing and humiliating.
But should modern parents follow in the footsteps of previous generations? In this article, we’ll explore the history of spanking, its relevance, and its effects on children.
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What is Spanking?
Spanking is one of the most well-known and practiced forms of corporal punishment. It involves causing pain by striking a person’s bottom. The act can either be done with a hand or an object, such as a paddle, belt, or slipper.
Spanking is a worldwide phenomenon and is done by many parents and teachers to discipline children. It is a form of punishment that is passed down from generation to generation. Today, many experts debate the efficacy of using corporal punishment on children.
The History of Spanking
The Bible verse mentioned above shows that spanking had existed during early civilizations. Spanking was also done during the ancient times of Greece, Rome, and Egypt. The practice was later adopted in the following eras.
During the Medieval period, spanking and corporal punishment were encouraged by religious leaders. Due to schools being closely tied to churches, spanking was used to discipline learners.
However, during the 18th century, the idea of spanking and corporal punishment was criticized, both philosophically and legally. Corporal punishment slowly declined during the 20th century. But the practice is still done in the military, prisons, homes, and schools.
Is Spanking Still Common Today?
Spanking is still practiced in many places in the world, including the US. Corporal punishment in schools is currently legal in 19 states. More than 160,000 students are subjected to corporal punishment every year from these 19 states alone.
But when it comes to spanking at home, the numbers are gradually going down. Spanking went down from 50% in 1993 to 35% in 2017. Millennial and Gen X parents are also less likely to spank their children compared to previous generations.
Are Pediatricians For or Against Spanking?
But what does the American Academy of Pediatrics have to say about spanking? Simply put, their advice goes: Don’t do it, ever.
Corporal punishment is a heavily debated topic among parents, teachers, and experts. But according to the new policy that the AAP published, corporal punishment is not an effective way of disciplining children, both in the short term and long term. Asides from corporal punishment, yelling and shaming children are also not a good idea.
Instead, the AAP encourages parents to use nonphysical punishment. (More on that later.) They point out that non-spanked children have less of a risk of developing cognitive, vocabulary, and memory problems.
The Effects of Spanking
Most studies done about spanking shows that corporal punishment has more cons than pros. And many of these cons can affect a child until adulthood.
Spanking can do physical, mental, and emotional harm to children. Many researchers also correlate spanking to abuse due to the similarity of effects it has on children. That’s why parents need to know about the consequences spanking can bring.
Changes in Children’s Brain
In a research done by Harvard University, they’ve found that spanking has a profound effect on children’s brain response. Researchers found that spanked children’s brains react to spanking similarly to severe maltreatment, such as sexual abuse. Even non-threatening stimuli trigger threat detection in spanked children.
Long Term Mental Health Consequences
Meanwhile, the University of Michigan has also done a study on spanking. They found that spanking is linked to adult depression, suicide attempts, and substance abuse. The study concludes that both child maltreatment and harsh parenting should be prevented to avoid more causes of mental health problems in adulthood.
Increased Aggression
Another effect of spanking and corporal punishment is increased aggression. Repeated spanking does the opposite of disciplining children. Instead, spanking makes children more likely to be defiant and aggressive in the future.
Survivor Bias and Fallacy
Many people who grew up being spanked might argue that they grew up fine and didn’t see the harm in spanking. This fallacy is an example of survivor bias, and it invalidates those who were severely affected by spanking. The claim that spanking worked for others because they grew up experiencing it undermines the extensive research done on the subject. The argument also only relies solely on an individual’s feelings.
Alternatives to Spanking
Disciplining a child is still an important duty that every parent is tasked to do. However, you don’t have to rely on pain to instill good morals.
Instead, an effective way to teach your child is through positive reinforcement and open communication. Establishing clear (but not excessively strict) rules, creating boundaries, and committing to open conversations with your child can help them develop into mature individuals. You also don’t risk ruining your parent-child relationship.
Different children have different needs and ways of responding to correction. But every kid deserves patience and care. Even the most unruly child should be treated with respect and not with harshness.
Conclusion
Spanking is a well-known corporal punishment that is slowly going out of fashion. While the practice is still done in many schools and homes around the US and the world, we highly advise not to use this method of punishment. There are other safer and more effective ways to teach your child a lesson, and those options don’t include hitting them on the bum.
Parents must understand that violence is never the answer, even if it’s done out of love. Spanking, hitting, shouting, and humiliating kids push them to be angry and fearful. At the end of the day, what every parent wants is a child who trusts, respects, and loves them.
