Child Spanking Controversy

Child Spanking Controversy

Introduction

Child spanking is a practice that applies physical force to cause pain to a minor to manage behavior. Although held in some communities as a good parenting practice, it is associated with several adverse effects. Proponents of spanking opine that the practice e leads to positive behavioral outcomes and improves the development of the child. Spanking is, however, connected with several psychological effects, including aggression and anti-social traits, among other externalizing behaviors. Besides, the practice is associated with a range of internalizing behaviors like depression and negative relationships with parents. Scholars in children studies have categorized spanking among Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE). The treatment of children must adhere to policy guidelines in various jurisdictions. Society can also minimize the adverse effects of spanking by investigating the factors that encourage the practice. Stakeholders in child welfare must investigate the merits and challenges of the method and develop clear guidelines to ensure that society safeguards the protection of the child. The practice of spanking of children is prevalent in different cultures in the United States. It exposes children to adverse behavioral and developmental challenges, the action of child-friendly organizations can help create awareness of alternative methods of instilling discipline to enhance the achievement of better growth outcomes.

 Policy and its provisions

Spanking, or corporal punishment, is outlawed in several institutions because of the adverse effects on the child. The proponents regard the practice as a credible method of punishment, but it is associated with a variety of developmental problems including poor parent-child relationships and mental health challenges. According to the American Association of Pediatrics (AAP), parents and other caregivers should not use corporal punishment to correct the child (Finkelhor et al. 3). The AAP policy also proposes the education of parents on alternative methods of punishing their children. Other agencies that have expressed their displeasure for spanking include the National Association of Social Workers, the American Professional Society on the abuse of children (APSAC), and the Committee on the Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health (Finkelhor et al. 3).

The impact of the institutions fighting corporal punishment has been significant in America and led to a considerable drop in the prevalence of the practice. Studies carried out in America among children aged between 0-17 years showed a different incidence of the method based on age. Children aged between 0-9 years suffered spanking rates of 51-47% according to caregiver reports. The self-reporting among youth between 10-17 years revealed a prevalence rate of 23% (Finkelhor et al. 3). The studies also showed that spanking peaked in children at the age of 3-4 years. Boys were more likely to be spanked than girls in the sampled region. The spanking magnitude also revealed disparities in races, with blacks recording the highest cases at 65% compared to whites at 45% (Finkelhor et al. 3). Comparative research has shown that there is a progressive decline in spankings cases in modern families. The drop is mainly due to family size and the delayed age of parenting. In the U.S. the average size of the family is shrinking, and this may afford parents more time to talk with their children and develop other forms of punishment. Besides, individuals in contemporary American society marry at a later age and are psychologically more prepared for parenting. Unlike younger parents who are less confident, older parents have better skills for managing themselves and others. American society must increase awareness of alternative disciplinary measures to reduce the frequencies of violence against children even further.

Factors affecting Child Spanking

The prevalence of spanking depends on several factors, including ethnicity, degrees of poverty, type of family, and place of residence, among others. A lifetime prevalence study carried out among the youth showed higher reports of spanking in the rural areas compared to statistics in cities. The decrease in spanking rates in urban areas derives from increased awareness through mass media and other channels. The degree of poverty in families is also associated with high degrees of spanking in children (Afifi et al. 3). Poor households expose children to factors that promote including emotional abuse. Family wealth status is also closely linked to substance abuse and mental health challenges. Children raised in such families are highly susceptible to spanking. The parental style adopted also determines the degree of use of physical violence with authoritarian parents preferring to spank their children (Rodriguez, Shannon MO and Maria-Ernestina 11). Poverty is a situation where families experience strained resources, and this could escalate to marital conflict and poor parenting. Individuals who experience challenges in their marriages are more likely to use violence against their children. Adverse family condition exposes individuals to mental health problems like depression and anxiety, which are predisposing factors to child spanking (Afifi et al. 3). Society must address the challenges associated with poverty and racial disparities, among other social factors, as a step towards reducing the prevalence of spanking in children.

 

Views in Support to Child Spanking

Despite the gains made in the reduction in cases of violence against children, some communities and groups continue to use this method as a disciplinary measure. Some cultures hold the view that beating a child is the only way to ensure that they are well-behaved and develop into successful adults (Bathe and Leon 1). Such communities fail to focus on the adverse impacts of spanking on the psychological health of the child, among other challenges. The number of objects used to punish children varies from belts, extension cords to switches. Parenting in the black community, for instance, promotes violence through the phrases that involve beating children. The media also plays a critical role in influencing the parenting style, as depicted in black comics that include narrations of childhood beatings. A history of spanking also predisposes parents for using these mechanisms to discipline their children. Influences of culture and religion predispose children to a spanking from parents who believe that their actions are for the welfare of the children. The phrase “spare the rod and spoil the child” attributed to the Bible gives some parents a legitimate reason to spank their children (Bathe and Leon 2). The beating emanates from the fear that if they don’t receive discipline in this manner, they will not be successful in life. Consequently, children receive a beating for dragging to do their homework, talking back, breaking a flowerpot, and failure to wash dishes, among other reasons (Bathe and Leon 2). The outlined ‘sins’ for spanking are common in children and this makes spanking a routine exercise in these cultures.

Negative consequences of child spanking

The frequency of spanking has decreased significantly in American society and globally. Several groups and associations have created awareness of the adverse effects of spanking and led to the adoption of alternative techniques. Corporal punishment is closely associated with other types of abuses, including psychological and verbal violations, with known impacts of the development of the child through adulthood. Dr. Sege, a pediatrician at the Floating Hospital for Children at Tufts Medical Centre in Boston, proposed that parents should desist from spanking their children either in anger or as a punishment (Abbasi 1). Observations support the dwindling popularity of spanking as a method of instilling discipline in children into the outcomes of the exercise. Studies reveal that spanking had failed to produce desirable results in children. Parents desire the best out of children, and these studies constrain them to seek alternative methods of discipline. Children who undergo physical punishment experience an increase in aggressive behavior, defects in brain development, and the prevalence of mental health problems (Abbasi 2). Corporal discipline breeds aggressiveness in children, and they continuously grow oppositional. The practitioners of spanking, therefore, fail to achieve the intended purpose as the character of the children becomes worse. Corporal punishment also affects the mental health of children by altering the grey matter responsible for intelligence quotient. At the extreme, corporal punishment may affect the physical growth of the child’s brain. Parents who desist from spanking their children base their decision on the mental health problems that include depression and anxiety. Consequently, these children experience adverse behavioral outcomes that affect their adjustment into society. The professional advice of medical personnel also plays a critical role in dissuading parents from using physical punishment to correct their children (Abbasi 3). During hospital visits, pediatricians may notice evidence of abuse and caution the parent of the adverse impacts of the practice and advise them on alternative techniques

Alternatives to child spanking

Maintaining discipline in children is critical for their growth. Many awareness creation mechanisms have helped parents develop other mechanisms that bring out desirable outcomes in children. One of the commonly used techniques for punishing children is time out. Parents use this technique to allow children to reflect on the mistake they have made. Other practices include denial of privileges by withdrawing things that children like. In this regard, parents can take away toys and deny children the pleasure of watching the television. In adopting these techniques, children develop closer intimacy with their parents allowing a more intimate examination of behavior. However, parents must define their understanding of acceptable conduct. Michelle Bathe, for instance, refers to her son, whom she says ‘talks back’ to her, a trait that would attract spanking in her childhood (Bathe 3). However, she understands that it is the freedom her son displays when he questions things in his environment (Bathe 3). Parents can begin adopting alternative methods of punishment from the toddler stage by distracting children away from danger. The parent can also utilize the moments when the child craves parental attention to train them on good behavior. When children engage in unacceptable behavior at this stage, the parent may use time-out, where he denies the child the parental attention for some time (Abasi 2). The child may feel remorseful and adopt good manners as an incentive to maintain closeness to the parent (Abasi 2). More older children can learn by facing the consequences of their mistakes. The parent can ask the child to clean up if they find their room untidy. Through such alternative mechanisms, parents can instill discipline and excellent behavior in children without resorting to physical violence.

Conclusion

Spanking is a practice commonly used by parents and caregivers to discipline children. The practice is prevalent in diverse cultures, including the whites, Hispanics, and blacks. Proponents of this practice perceive it as a required obligation based on culture and religion. The tools used to spank children, including switches and extension cords, not only injure them physically but cause adverse behavioral and developmental challenges. Physically abused children are susceptible to depression and anxiety and could suffer retarded brain development. The efforts of several organizations have resulted in the creation of awareness of the adverse effects of physical punishment on children. Parents can discipline their children through alternative mechanisms like time-out, denial of privileges, and compelling them to bear the consequences of their actions. Spanking causes physical and psychological harm to children and child-friendly organizations can reduce the prevalence of the exercise through legislation and creation of awareness about alternative means of punishment