Discipline Without Harm

1. Discipline Without Harm By: Sarah Staples http://lawlesspress.blogspot.com/2012/09/corporal-punishment-is-abuse.html

2. Research Question • What is the most ethical solution to the problem of corporal punishment causing physical harm or becoming child abuse?

3. What is corporal punishment? • Infliction of physical pain upon a person’s body as punishment for a crime or infraction • http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/corporal%20punishment http://winecountrymom.com/2011/06/

4. Scope and Severity of the problem • Many people believe that corporal punishment is just spanking these are just a few of the many cases where corporal punishment has gone wrong: • Michael and Debi Pearl created a book on disciplining children called, “To Train Up a Child.” There book said that you should start using the switch as early as six months old and then you can later use a quarter inch flexible pluming rod to discipline your child. This book has resulted in three deaths of precious children as of November 2011. (Eckholm p.1) • Roderick Arrington a 7 year old was beaten to death by his parents because he did not want to do his homework or read the bible. (Takahashi p.1)

5. Possible Solutions • Straus and Stewarts study suggests parents should use different approaches to punish children so that corporal punishment does not turn into child abuse. (Straus and Stewart p.56) • Josh Magill states when spanking is accompany by guidelines, explanations for punishment, consistency, and the encouragement toward a sense if responsibility it can be proven. (Magill p.1) • Elizabeth Gershoff states creating a law banning corporal punishment is a possible solution (Gershoff p.539) • Straus and Stewart also believe that there is a major need to inform the parents of the multiple results from corporal punishment (Straus and Stewart p.67)

6. How the solutions related to ethics? • The utilitarian Approach would use different ways to discipline children. This option will cause everyone to happy since the child is being disciplined but cannot be seriously harmed. • When using the rights approach People will believe that they have the right to use corporal punishment to discipline their child as long as it is done in moderation. • The Justice Approach solution will be creating a law that makes it illegal to use corporal punishment. http://www.sueduncanchildrenscenter.org/ethics-contract/

7. My claim and ethical approach • I used the utilitarian approach to form my claim. • My claim is: • Although many people tend to use corporal punishment while disciplining their children, there are more effective ways to discipline or correct children that create less harm and are therefore more ethical.

8. Reason • Although corporal punishment can be an effective form of discipline there are many other ways that are more effective and less harmful. • Gershoff states that corporal punishment is ineffective at best and harmful at worse. (Gershoff p. 539) • Gershoff and Bitensky state that corporal punishment is ineffective and can have unintended negative effects. (Gershoff and Bitensky p. 231)

9. Other ways to discipline children • Parents should set a positive example for their children. • Parents should allow the children to help make up the punishments so they know what is required from them. • Parents could give a child time out this will provide time for the parent to cool off and allows the child to think about what they did. • The parents could take away something that the child likes. • The parents could praise them when doing something right. http://www.ahaparenting.com/parenting-tools/positive-discipline/timeouts

10. Reason Corporal punishment should not be used because if one has to punish their kids for hitting or doing physical abuse then they are being hypocrites • Gershoff states that spanking models aggression and violence showing the children that it is okay for the person in charge to use violence to get what he or she wants and it also shows children that violence is sometimes part of a loving relationship (Gershoff p.5) http://tsminteractive.com/spanking-kids-public/

11. Reason • Corporal punishment can possibly lead to the children becoming more aggressive. • Elizabeth Gershoff states, “corporal punishment is predicted to increase child aggression because it models aggression.” (Gershoff p.3) • Murray A. Straus and Julie H. Stewart states that corporal punishment leads to aggressive behavior in adult hood. (Straus and Stewart p.55) http://www.nannypro.com/blog/8-reasons-spankings-are-not-effective/

12. Counter Arguments • It is alright to spank their child as long as it is done in moderation. • Rebuttal: While using corporal punishment in moderation can be harmless and effective but it contradicts what parents are trying to teach their children about right and wrong.

13. Counter arguments • The common phrase “I was spanked and I turned out okay.” • Rebuttal: • Nicole Fabian-Weber states that yes when one was spanked as a child a person can turn into a functioning human but there are negative long-term effects that come with spanking.

14. conclusion • After doing research and focusing on the most ethical solution I have found many reason why parents should not use corporal punishment on their children such as increasing aggressive behaviors and leading to serious harm and instead parents need focus on the utilitarian approach, which is choosing a different , less harmful punishment when disciplining a child. http://www.neontommy.com/news/2013/10/spanking-children-predicts-future-behavioral-problems

15. Works cited • Crouch J., & Behl L. (2001). Relationships among parental beliefs in corporal punishment, reported stress, and physical child abuse potential. Child Abuse & Neglect, 25. Retrieved from http://ac.els-cdn.com/S0145213400002568/1-s2.0-S0145213400002568-main.pdf?_tid=5aa2c2f2-c386-11e3-9134-00000aab0f26&acdnat=1397446936_e9366bc5d59c7a30713b7e5a8b9f6337 • Elckhom, E. (2011). Preaching Virtue of Spanking, Even as Deaths Fuel Debate.The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/07/us/deaths-put-focus-on-pastors-advocacy-of-spanking.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 • Gershoff, E. (2002). Corporal Punishment by Parents and Associated Child Behaviors and Experiences: A Meta-Analytic and Theoretical Review. Psychological Bulletin, 128. Retrieved from http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/bul/128/4/539.pdf • Gershoff, E., & Bitensky, S. (2007). The Case Against Corporal Punishment of Children: Converging Evidence From Social Science Research International Human Rights Law and Implications for U.S. Public Policy. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, 13. Retrieved from http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/law/13/4/231.pdf • Gershoff, E. (2013). We Know Now to Stop Spanking Our Children: Spanking and Child Development. U.S. Alliance to Stop Hitting of Children. Retrieved from http://www.endhittingusa.org/resources/printable-case-against-cp-and-our-manifesto/spanking-and-child-development-elizabeth-gershoff

16. Works Cited Continued • Magill, J. (2013). Yes, to spanking …In Moderation. The Magill Review. Retrieved from http://themagillreview.wordpress.com/2013/03/02/yes-to-spanking-in-moderation/ • Markham, L. (2014). What’s Wrong with Timeouts. Parents. Retrieved from http://www.ahaparenting.com/parenting-tools/positive-discipline/timeouts • Straus, M. & Stewart, J. (1999). Corporal Punishment by American Parents: National Data on Prevalence, Chronicity, Severity, and Duration, in Relation to Child and Family Characteristics. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 2. Retrieved From http://pubpages.unh.edu/~mas2/CP36.pdf • Weber, N. (2013). 5 Reasons You Aren’t ‘Fine’ if You Were Spanked as a Child. The Stir. Retrieved from http://thestir.cafemom.com/toddler/162963/5_reasons_you_arent_fine