Corporal Punishment
Sara Daniels
DBMF 605-B01
Dr. John Brunstetter
February 12, 2020
Corporal Punishment Should Not be Used
Dobson (2014) states that “the most vital objective of disciplining a child is to gain and maintain respect” (p. 30). Although many parents believe that their use of corporal punishment is meant to correct a child’s behavior, studies show that there are no positive impacts to corporal punishment; however, there are long-term harms (Corwin & Keeshin, 2019).
The Harm Associated with Corporal Punishment
Many times, corporal punishment is performed out of anger rather than correction. In the heat of the moment of a child’s misbehavior, a parent will spank their bottom or slap their leg or face, etc. In my opinion, this doesn’t teach any valuable lesson to the child other than violence and anger are justifiable when someone doesn’t act in a way that is deemed appropriate.
Furthermore, corporal punishment is associated with behavior problems in youth, anxiety, and aggression (Lansford et al., 2014). It has also been found that children that were corporally punished are more likely to use corporal punishment with their own children, and that there are no clear distinctions between physical abuse and corporal punishment (Gershoff, 2002).
Proper Discipline
Discipline should be conducted out of love and genuine concern for the child’s well-being. Dobson (2014) states that parents should love their children enough to establish control; however, this does not mean that control must be gained through acts of corporal punishment. There are much better and effective ways to discipline a child although there is no one-size-fits-all approach. For example, my son is 4 years old, and we started with redirection when he was younger, then moved to timeout, and now it is more of removing things he loves like his iPad, etc. We want to provide discipline and boundaries so that he is aware that his actions and behaviors are not acceptable; however, we never intend to punish him. When he does something worthy of timeout, he will stand at the wall for four minutes (since that’s how old he is), and when the timer goes off, he comes to me. I then proceed to give him a hug, tell him I love him, and then we discuss his behavior on a level that he can understand. I know that our methods will have to change as he grows, but the goal will always remain to see him grow into a healthy and well-adjusted adult.
Biblical Integration
I believe that Scriptures such as Proverbs 23:13 or Proverbs 29:15 have been twisted in order to justify corporal punishment. To my understanding, Scripture is telling parents to teach their children right from wrong through discipline and instruction. I also believe that the “rod” is meant for guiding children in the way they should go rather than hitting or beating them into submission. I like to reference Moses and his staff/rod; he used his rod to guide the Israelites through the Red Sea and also to fulfill God’s commands. My belief is that this is the same for raising children.
References
Corwin, D., & Keeshin, B. (2019). Ending corporal punishment in the United States. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 58(10), S49-S49. doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2019.07.353
Dobson, J. (2014). The new dare to discipline. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House.
Gershoff, E. T. (2002). Corporal punishment by parents and associated child behaviors and experiences: A meta-analytic and theoretical review. Psychological Bulletin, 128(4), 539–579. https://doi-org.ezproxy.liberty.edu/10.1037/0033-2909.128.4.539
Lansford, J. E., Sharma, C., Malone, P. S., Woodlief, D., Dodge, K. A., Oburu, P., . . . Institutionen för individ och samhälle. (2014). Corporal punishment, maternal warmth, and child adjustment: A longitudinal study in eight countries. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 43(4), 670-685. doi:10.1080/15374416.2014.893518
Reference
Dobson, J. (2014). The new dare to discipline. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House.