It is not in doubt that children should face disciplinary action incase of a misconduct. However, spanking, which is the most preferred disciplinary method, has aroused a heated debate on its effectiveness.
While some parents uphold spanking as the most appropriate mode of disciplining their children, others argue that inflicting physical pain to the child can lead to negative consequences in the future. Numerous studies have come to the conclusion that children who are spanked are more likely to develop both behavioral and emotional problems.
The proponents of anti-spanking further argue that these particular children suffer from depression and further experience low self-esteem as compared to those who are not spanked by their parents. This debate has left most parents confused as to the most appropriate mode of disciplining their children when they misbehave.
However, it is apparent that the argument posited by the anti-spanking proponents is flawed as it will be established in this paper. The paper will also point out the need for parents to spank their children when called upon by circumstances without having to feel guilty about it.
Most of the people against spanking do not differentiate the concept of spanking from beating. A bare-handed ‘swipe’ to a child’s bottom is not the same thing as hitting the child with a closed fist or any other mode of ‘discipline’ that is bound to leave the child with bruises.
Such kind of abuse is not advocated but a clear distinction should be drawn to differentiate the two. This issue has gone too far that it has allowed the children to run the show. The current generation has the ability to successfully lure the authority to believe that the parents actually ‘beat’ them while all they received was a slight spank.
Such situations have led the parents to shy away from disciplining them through spanking in order to avoid trouble. They tend to rely to other alternatives that have been proposed by the anti-spanking proponents such as withdrawing the child’s privileges or even allocating extra chores during their recession periods.
However, what happens when a parent has ‘grounded’ their child due to misconduct only to learn later that the same child defied the punishment by leaving the house without their parent’s consent? The opponents, in their argument, fail to consider such extremes which are interestingly prevalent in our current generation.
The current generation also seems to be inhabited by children with decayed morals. This is in contrast with the older generation who were brought up in the spanking culture. Take for instance the high rate of juvenile delinquency in the United States which seems to rise annually.
The studies that indicate harmful effects associated with spanking have been based on children who are spanked in their teenage hood. It should be noted that parents who begin to discipline their children who are already of age are likely to cause resentment in their children.
However, this should not be blamed on the effect of spanking but on the history of unproductive parenthood. On the other hand, the allegation that spanking is bound to lead to spouse abuse in future has not been proved. Although most cases of abusive partners claim to have been abused as children, this does not indicate that spanking, as opposed to abusive deeds, is the main cause of spouse abuse.
In conclusion, it is important for the anti-spanking proponents to explore the whole concept of spanking before coming up with their conclusion. The parents should be allowed to spank their children once in a while. The same should not be abused by the parents. Spanking should not be usedto instill fear in the child, but to correct their wrongdoing in a polite but stern manner.
Spanking, as a form of discipline, should therefore be administered at an early age and should never be motivated by rage. This ensures that a child respect their parents and will be ready to admit their wrong doing to avoid a confrontation that will likely lead to spanking.
