Corporal Punishment Controversy

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Discuss the controversy that surrounds corporal punishment. What are the arguments that each side uses to support its claims about the use of corporal punishment in child rearing? Use examples from the text and the article by Stacks et al. to support your answer. The topic of corporal punishment is quite controversial in our current society. There are individuals that feel physical discipline of a child is unacceptable and there are individuals that feel physical discipline of a child is sometime appropriate. In regards to those against the use of corporal punishment, they cite the large number of studies that have shown a positive association between physical discipline of children and adult antisocial behavior. (Simons, Simons, & Wallace,…show more content…
Do you believe that this is a dated argument that no longer works with modern communities? Explain your answer and provide at least one personal experience or characteristic of modern communities to support your argument. The text suggest that communities have a strong sense of unity and that adults within the community influence and help to supervise all children within the community. For fear that the adults in the neighborhood might tell their parents, children are thought to be less likely to engage in deviant behavior. (Simons, Simons, & Wallace, 2004). I do not agree with this argument and I feel it is very outdated. We live in a society where people are afraid to get after someone else’s children. Depending on the neighborhood, you could be shot, assaulted, or have your property damaged. There are decent neighborhoods as well. A decent neighborhood does not mean good people though. When I think about answering this question it reminds me of Dennis Rader. He was educated, married for 34 years, have two children, lived in a decent neighborhood, he worked for ADT installing security systems, he was president of the Congregation Council at his church, and a Cub Scout leader. He stalked, tortured, and murdered ten women over a 17 year period. You never know who your neighbors are. In the case where there are good neighbors, I would expect people to be hesitant…show more content…
What are the strengths and weaknesses of each? Which provides the best explanation, in your opinion, for adult delinquency? Gottfredson and Hirschi’s self-control theory argues that differences in self-control are established by age 10 and remain reasonably stable throughout life. The theory views variations in level of self-control as a latent trait that serves as the primary explanation for individual differences in involvement in antisocial behavior throughout the life course. (Simons, Simons, & Wallace, 2004). Laub and Sampson’s life course perspective builds on social control theory arguing that “early antisocial behavior is related to future offending because it tends to undermine important social controls.” (Simons, Simons, & Wallace, 2004). This theory does not emphasize antisocial behavior as the life-altering problem but suggests that antisocial behavior causes a breakdown of social and institutional bonds. (Simons, Simons, & Wallace, 2004). Antisocial behavior causes parents to reduce their monitoring and discipline resulting in weakened ties that affect other social controls. This theory suggests that when antisocial behavior strengthens social controls instead of weakening them, the likelihood of continuity decreases. (Simons, Simons, & Wallace, 2004). In my opinion, I do not think that just because someone has antisocial tendencies that they are doomed to a life

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