Cochran 1

Derrick D. Cochran
Developmental Psychology
81653
Spanking

I know that when I was going up my father always struggled with the idea of if he
should spank me or not. My father never wanted to because of the fact that his father used
to spank him with a belt so hard it would make it hard for him to sit or walk sometimes.
He pushed it so far that it went past punishment and into abuse. In fact my father only
spanked me once. It was when I repeated a swear work off of the movie Predator II. To
this day I think that the only reason why he ever spanked me was because the fact that his
mother, my grandmother, was screaming at him to spank me.

I personally think that spanking is outdated and there are much better ways of
punishing you children if they do something wrong. I remember vividly the fact that
spanking never actually made me not want to do something ever again, it actually just
made me madder and I wanted to be more defiant. It would also look like that I am not
alone in my way of thinking. The American Academy of Pediatrics officially states that
they strongly oppose striking a child. Not only that but also several European countries
ban any type of corporal punishment. There have been studies stating that spanking has
correlations with eleven negative behaviors, including increased aggression and
delinquent behavior.

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The American Academy goes as far as to say that spanking is harmful emotionally
to both parent and child, not only can it result in physical harm, but it teaches children
that violence is an acceptable way to discipline or express anger, it interferes with the
development of trust, and causes emotional pain and resentment. They also stated what I
believe in that spanking While stopping the behavior temporarily, it does not teach
alternative behavior. Psychology Today even goes as far as saying that there are no
positive results of corporal punishment.

But it would look like that the common outlook on spanking has not changed
much over the years in the United States. A study done in North Carolina and New York
by Dr. Socolar and Dr. Stein that was published by The American Academy of Pediatrics
says that 74% of parents polled believed in spanking and that 42% had spanked there
children within the past week. So while me and majority of doctors believe that spanking
should not be done and it can cause damage to the children the majority of mothers in the
United States believe that if you Spare the rod, you spoil the child.

References:
Psychology Today Magazine: Spare the Rod? By Susan Campbell. Pub Sep/Oct 2002
American Academy of Pediatrics: Caring for Your School-Age Child: Ages 5 to 12. Pub
1995
Pediatrics Vol. 95 No. 1 January 1995, pp. 105-111: Spanking Infants and Toddlers:
Maternal Belief and Practice
Pediatrics Vol. 113 No. 5 May 2004, pp. 1321 1330: Spanking in Early Childhood and
Later Behavior Problems: A Prospective Study of Infants and Young Toddlers