Early Start: Effects of Corporal Punishment On Children

CEBU, Philippines - Corporal punishment is a common and often an accepted form of disciplining children. We hear of "Spare the rod, spoil the child". We remember being spanked ourselves and think, "We turned out okay".

Instead of simply doing things as they have always been done, let's stop to ask today, Is using corporal punishment the best way to discipline a child, to teach a child to become a better person?

Let us begin the reflection by defining corporal punishment. According to the Committee on the Rights of the Child, corporal punishment is "any punishment in which physical force is used and intended to cause some degree of pain or discomfort, however light". This includes smacking, slapping with a hand or other implement, pinching, burning, and forced swallowing. It includes other non-physical forms such as insulting, threatening, scaring, or humiliating a child.

There have been many studies on the effects of corporal punishment on children. Below are some of its consequences:

The most obvious consequence is physical. Children who are punished suffer from broken bones, wounds, and other physical injuries. Aside from the pain the child feels, the injuries may prevent the child from going to school and engaging in other activities that are good for their development.

The pain and humiliation can lead to retarded physical and cognitive development. Studies show that children who live under constant threat of physical or emotional harm have elevated levels of a hormone called cortisol. Too much cortisol can lead to things like poor memory, stunted growth, and slow brain development. This leads to difficulties in school later on and these effects continue to have an effect in the long term.

Psychological and emotional suffering is also common. Imagine if your boss came up and slapped you for a substandard report you submitted. How would you feel? Angry? Ashamed? Humiliated? The effect is the same on children. Children who are slapped, pinched, or beaten feel humiliation. If they experience it enough, they lose self-esteem, become fearful, inhibited, rigid, and anxious. Older children can even become suicidal. This leads to children who are ashamed of themselves, who are afraid to try new things, and who are withdrawn from others.

The child loses respect and trust for his/her parents. A child's primary need is for security and safety. When a parent does not provide this very basic need, the child believes that s/he cannot trust them. A child that grows up with this feeling of distrust within the family will have a very difficult time developing secure, trusting relationships in the long term. Many children who are exposed to physical punishment also lie frequently. They learn not to tell the truth in order to avoid punishment.

Children learn to be aggressive. Adults' actions and example are the best teachers. When a child is hit, he or she learns that the way to resolve a problem is by physically attacking the other person. Children who are hit by their parents often bully younger children in school or in the neighborhood. They get into trouble with the authorities, not because they are bad but because they have learned that it is acceptable to be this way.

As parents and adults, we feel the responsibility to educate and bring our children up properly and we owe it to our children to ask questions, to debate and reflect deeply on how we go about doing so. We must not rely solely on how we were raised to inform our parenting style. We must open our minds to new knowledge and ways of child rearing.

To learn more about corporal punishment and its effects visit: www.sparetherod.org.

In the next articles we will explore the reasons for children's misbehavior and present to you alternatives to corporal punishment that are more positive and look at the child's development in the long term.

Sources: Naker, D. and Sekitoleko, D., Positive Discipline: Alternatives to Corporal Punishment www.raisingvoices.org www.sparetherod.org

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The FREEMAN and the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. is running weekly features on Early Childhood Care and Development to emphasize the importance of Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) and to increase public support for ECCD.