Punishment of Children

Children and Punishment Punishment is the most commonly used and socially acceptable way of children’s education. Parents believe that punishments reduce the frequency of unwanted behaviors of children. Therefore, parents punish their children. To illustrate; parents do not allow their children to watch TV for a couple of days or parents do not permit their children to go out and play their friends for a few days when children get into mischief at early age of them. Furthermore, in their adolescence, children can receive other types of punishment. In majority, they are punished by not giving them pocket of money. Although parents believe that punishment suppresses inappropriate behaviors, this is rarely the actual case; moreover, it leads to psychological problems on children. Thus, I believe that children should not be punished. Some may argue that punishment is very beneficial. It is contention of these supporters that is essential for education of children. They believe that children may teach social rules thanks to punishment. When parents want to teach some ethics such as sitting down or speaking politely or some religious rules like performing the namaz or memorizing prayers to their children who are reluctant in these fields, they usually force their children by punishing them. Moreover, proponents of punishment may also claim that punishment is essential in order to teach responsibilities like doing their homework or collecting their toys to children. Even if a child does not want to do something which is mentioned above, (s) he feels that (s) he has to do these because (s) he fears (s) he will be punished by their parents. Under the light of these, punishment is helpful for children’s education to a certain extent. It may be thought that this has merits on children but it is not true totally. I strongly believe that punishment is not a good way for education because it has many negative effects. For instance;

References: Dodson, F. (2009). Çocuğun ‘İstenmeyen Davranışları’ ile Nasıl Başa Çıkılır?. (pp. 38-39). İstanbul: Kural Dışı Press Faber, A. & Mazlish, E. (2003). Cezaya Alternative. (p. 109). İstanbul: Kuraldışı press Stein, J. (2005, June). To Punish or Not To Punish, That is The Question. Retrieved May 2010 from http://www.cyc.net.org¢yc.online