The Negative Effects Of Spanking

"In a new study published in Pediatrics, researchers at Tulane University provide the strongest evidence yet that children's short-term response to spanking may make them act out more in the long run. Of the nearly 2,500 youngsters in the study, those who were spanked more frequently at age 3 were much more likely to be aggressive by age 5"(Kovac). According to the Bing dictionary, spanking is an act of slapping, especially on the buttocks as a punishment for children. It is also known by the name of corporal punishment, which is a bad form of disciplining. Spanking is not the most effective way of disciplining a child, even though it is sometimes proclaimed to be, it causes the child to be aggressive, and is psychologically unsound. Spanking is not a good form of disciplining because it is not the most effective way of disciplining a child. There are more efficient ways to discipline your child. "For example, while spanking only affects the child for a minute or two, taking away a privilege hurts longer. Taking away a phone, video game, or even TV privileges will serve as a a reminder to not repeat the action"(Williams). Also, if you hit your child because he acted aggressively, it seems hypocritical. So instead of spanking, put him in time-out or have a talk with him. This will show the child
that hitting is not how you solve problems, but by taking time from the situation or talking it over with the opposition, he can solve his problems. The last reason why spanking is not the most effective is because worst outcomes come when kids are spanked. “Physical punishment doesn’t work to get kids to comply, so parents think they have to keep escalating it. That is why it is so dangerous,”(Smith). This is saying that when parents are not satisfied with the results they get from spanking their kids, they spank even harder and even more times to get their point across. This is when spanking gets out of hand and the parent gets out of control. So this means that the parents' anger determines the kid's pain and suffrage levels. When spanked, kids tend to become aggressive. There has been several other studies that support the data found in the first stated study. A study in 2010 found that frequent spanking when a child was 3 was linked to an increased risk for higher levels of child aggression when the child was 5. This means that the concluded information was that when a 3 year old is spanked, it is more common that that same kid will be more aggressive at age 5 than he was at age 3. This shows that spanking has a negative affect on the child. Other studies were taken too. "A study published last year in Child Abuse and Neglect revealed an intergenerational cycle of violence in homes where physical punishment was used. Researchers interviewed parents and children age 3 to 7 from more than 100 families. Children who were physically punished were more likely to endorse hitting as a means of resolving their conflicts with peers and siblings. Parents who had experienced frequent physical punishment during their childhood were more likely to believe it was acceptable, and they frequently spanked their children. Their children, in turn, often believed spanking was an appropriate disciplinary method"(Smith). This is saying that since the parent look to resolve the behavioral problems of his child by way of aggression, the child when see this as right and will look to resolve his problems the same way. This then starts a controversy as to whether the aggression of the parent while spanking justifies the child's actions to resolve his problems by means of aggression and force. The parent has to stay true to his word, but if the parent does not implement the rules of no hitting or aggression to solve problems, the child can not be punished for being aggressive. It this happens, the parent is being hypocritical and therefore is not setting a good example for the child. Along with the behavioral affects that spanking has on kids, it also has a psychological effect.
"After a 2009 study, it concluded that children who were regularly spanked had less gray matter in certain areas of the prefrontal cortex. This has been linked to depression, addiction and other mental health disorders. The grey matter serves as a processor of information in the brain. Structures within the grey matter process signals generated in the sensory organs or other areas of the grey matter"(Kovac). In other words, the grey matter is responsible for the things you know. So the loss of the essential grey matter shows that frequent spanking is not good for the
child. So in conclusion, spanking is a path to aggression for the child, it messes up the nervous system in the brain, and is not as efficient as declared to be. Spanking can work in certain circumstances, but in most cases, spanking gets out of hand and the parent gets out of control. When the parents are angry at the child, their anger can take control, and that is when spanking is most dangerous. This makes spanking less efficient and therefore should not be used. If you do spank, you are making an unnecessary risk for your child and it may cost your child his learning experience. The grey matter serves as a processor of information in the brain. So when you are spanking your child, you are putting your child's grey matter at risk. So when you know that there is a more effective way to discipline and you do not take advantage of it, you are acting selfishly and not thinking about the wellbeing of your child and the value of the child's life and education. So for the worth of your child, use the more effective form of discipline. Take devices or just talk to him. Sometimes, all the child needs is some attention from the parent. So reward the child when good is done and you will see the bad behavior good done at a fast rate.