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The Relationship Between Spanking and Emotional Damage

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The Relationship Between Spanking and Emotional Damage
There is no doubt that when it comes to a temper-tantrum throwing toddler, all parents want to do is make the behavior stop. However, it is the way parents have been choosing to discipline their child which is raising questions in congress. Whether or not parents spank their children is one of the hot topics among experts and society alike. Parents who do it argue if carried out properly and only occasionally, spanking can be an effective disciplinary tool. Parents who do not do it, protest hitting a child only teaches them violence is the way to solve problems. If spanking is related to corporal punishment of children, then parents who spank their children have a greater risk of causing their children emotional damage. An analysis of spanking children reveals three principle problems facing parents: define spanking, is spanking appropriate for their family, and what are my alternatives.

There have been many studies on how many parents spank their children, yet there have been far fewer studies as to why parents feel the need to hit in the first place. If the old methods worked for our parents, they will work just as well for current generations. To some, spanking means "slapping a child on the buttocks" (Straus, 1995), while others consider spanking a generic term for any corporal punishment that does not cause an injury, such as slapping a child 's hand for touching something forbidden or dangerous. In 1996 the American academy of Pediatrics issued a consensus statement on corporal punishment. Spanking, one form of corporal punishment, is defined as:
Physical non-injurious
Intended to modify behavior
Administered by an open hand to the child 's arms, legs, or buttocks
Everyone agrees consistent discipline is an important tool for parents raising their children.
Here are the proportions of American parents reporting the use of corporal punishment in a 12-month period, by age of children:

Roberts (2007) states for the study corporal punishment was


References: Andero, A., & Stewart, A. (n.d.). Issue of Corporal Punishment: Re-Examined. Journal of Instructional Psychology, vol 29, pg 5. Leach, P. (1996, July 9). Spanking: A shortcut to nowhere. Retrieved April 7, 2007, from Cnet Web site: http://cnet.unb.ca/corg/ca/e/pages/prevention^cruelty/spank.htm Paul, P. (2006). Is Spanking O.K.?. TIME. Riak, J. (2007). Plain Talk about Spanking. Parents and Teachers Against Violence in Education. Roberts, A. (2007). To spank or not to spank: That is the question many parents are debating as a legislator proposes to outlaw practice. Knight River Tribune Business News, pg 1. Rubin, D. (1996, September). Should you spank?. Parenting. 135-141 Sears M.D., W., & Sears R.N., M. (2006). Why We Don 't Spank. Retrieved March 10, 2007, from beliefnet Web site: http://www.beliefnet.com/story/66/story_6690.html Straus, M. (1995). Beating the devil out of them: Corporal punishment in American families. Lexington Books.
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