Ending Physical Punishment

Ending Physical Punishment of Children The last two decades have seen a major international shift in the perspectives regarding physical punishment of children. Up until twenty years ago, physical punishment was considered a normal and popular disciplinary technique. Over the last several years, however, an abundance of research has revealed that not only is corporal punishment of children ineffective, it also causes many harmful side effects that continue into adulthood. Physical punishment of children, also known as corporal punishment, is defined as "the use of physical force with the intention of causing a child to experience bodily pain or discomfort, so as to correct the child 's behavior" (Gershoff 9). This may include spanking
In addition, there is growing consensus that physical punishment of children violates international human rights law (Gershoff 23). It is therefore astonishing, that in the United States, physical punishment is legal in the home in forty-nine states, and is legal in schools in nineteen states. In addition, surveys reveal that 50 -60% of Americans use and approve of physical punishment by parents (APSA.org). These findings are shocking. If one would hit a spouse or stranger, it could be considered criminal assault, yet if one spanks a vulnerable child there are practically no legal ramifications in the United States
The boys were divided into two groups; one group watched a video of a child being yelled at and spanked, and the second group watched a non-violent video clip. Afterwards, the group that had watched the spanking video exhibited much more aggression during playtime than the control group (Durrant and Ensom 1373). Furthermore, data from over five-hundred families revealed a significant reduction in aggression as a direct result of decreases in physical punishment (Durrant and Ensom 1374). Taken together, these findings substantiate the original position that there is a direct link between physical punishment and aggression. Finally, physical punishment has been found to lead to multiple mental health problems that persist into adulthood. These include depression, anxiety, alcoholism, and drug abuse. Research also reveals slower cognitive development in younger children who were physically punished (Durrant and Ensom