Spanking Child Abuse Research Paper

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Corporal Punishment - Is Spanking Child Abuse? Eng/ 122 02/08/2010 Corporal Punishment- Is spanking child abuse? We have all witnessed this classic scene: a four year-old child is lying on the floor of a department store kicking and screaming, throwing a complete temper tantrum. Her mother, embarrassed and frustrated, threatens her with time-outs, but the stubborn child continues on with her tantrum. In the "old days", the mother would have not hesitated to take the child to the restroom and give her a good spanking to straighten her out. These days parents have to worry about someone turning them into the authorities claiming child abuse. Whether or not to spank is a major issue in today's society. Many psychologists and…show more content…
If the child is punished the correct way, it will not cause the child to turn to violence. Spanking is a very effective tool when used properly. There are specific ways in which to spank children. First of all, the parent should establish boundaries. When the child breaks these boundaries, he or she should be punished. A spanking should come in response to disobedience. The child should not be spanked for making mistakes or accidents, such as wetting his bed or breaking something, only for challenging the parent's position. Second of all, spanking should be a planned action, not a reaction. A child should not be spanked out of anger, but out of love. Thirdly, spanking should be administered sparingly, should be done with the parent's hand, or with a specific object set aside just for spanking. Lastly, spanking should always be done in private, so the child will not be humiliated. If corporal punishment is administered in this manner, the child will benefit greatly from his or her discipline, without the effects such as depression and…show more content…
More than four out of five Americans who were spanked by their parents as children say that it was an effective form of discipline" (Mattox 1). "Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline will drive it far from him" Proverbs 22:15. Spanking is not something a parent does against the child, but for the child. It teaches children to be respectful and obedient to their parents. Dr. Kenneth Schonberg a pediatric doctor says, "There's no evidence that a child who is spanked moderately is going to grow up to be a criminal or anti-social or violent" (Rosellini 2). Although many psychologists and doctors have tried to prove this with false statistics, there is only proof that properly spanking a child will only benefit him or

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