The Effects of Corporal Punishment

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The Effects of Corporal Punishment Kjfalkjf Ashford University PSY 101 Lakjdlaj Kdjsgkl;wrjf;lrejg The Effects of Corporal Punishment The advantages of using corporal punishment to discipline children have been a debatable topic for a very long time now. Despite decades of psychological research, we have not reached a thorough understanding as to how corporal punishment affects children. While a large majority of parents admit to using corporal punishment and believe that it works, many believe that is should not be used as a disciplinary tool for a variety of reasons. Corporal punishment sends the message that hitting is a way to resolve conflicts, it fails to teach children an acceptable method for handling conflicts, and perhaps most importantly, it can be psychologically, physically, and cognitively damaging. One argument concerning corporal punishment is that it sends the message that violence is an acceptable way to solve problems. Many people who have used corporal punishment to discipline their children, and who have been on the receiving end as a child, support the practice as long as it does not cause injury and is administered mild and infrequently. According to Simons and Wurtele (2010), children who are spanked are “significantly more aggressive…and…more likely to recommend hitting to resolve social disagreements with both peers and siblings.” Evidence shows that there is a link between physical punishment and aggression. Everyone knows that children are very impressionable, so when they see their parents respond with aggression they are likely to adopt the same coping mechanisms. According to an article by psychiatrist and adult and child psychoanalyst Paul Holinger (2009), corporally punished children will “identify with the aggressor and are more likely to become hitters
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