by Ximena Ramirez

Created on: July 18, 2008

The use of corporal punishment as a means to discipline children is one of the most controversial forms of parenting. It's use in the United States, however, cannot be ignored. Research indicates that 94% of parents today use corporal punishment as a means of discipline, especially spanking (Smith, Lindsey, & Hansen, 2006). In the U.S. it has been reported that 74% of parents with children 17 years old or younger spank their children as a disciplinary technique (Benjet & Kazdin, 2003). Obviously, corporal punishment is being used in many American homes, but can these behaviors be justified?

It is difficult to dispute the use of corporal punishment when the law actually protects parents from physically punishing their children. In fact, in the U.S. corporal punishment is legal in all 50 states. Moreover, the U.S. is one of only two UN member countries to reject the ratification of the Treaty on the Rights of Children, legislation that aims to protect children from all forms of physical or mental violence (Ripoll-Nunez & Rohner, 2006). U.S. legislation thus claims that hitting a child is an acceptable form of child rearing.

The use of corporal punishment also has religious roots. Proponents of corporal punishment often sight the biblical quote, "spare the rod, spoil the child" to justify its use (Ripoll-Nunez & Rohner, 2006). Evangelical Christians believe that spanking is necessary to instill in children a sense of respect for authority figures. Moreover, it is believed that refraining from spanking can have negative consequences on a child, causing them to act in uncontrollable or disrespectful ways. Fundamentalist Protestants also hold similar religious beliefs. They believe that it is their Godly and societal duty to exert their authority over their children, even if it means using physical force. In fact, Fundamentalist Protestants view corporal punishment positively regardless of the frequency or harshness of the behavior.

While corporal punishment is rooted both in religious doctrine and U.S. legislation, many scholars argue that the negative impact of abuse in children can have long-lasting, detrimental effects. An analysis of corporal punishment by Gershoff (2002) found overwhelming evidence to this theory. Gershoff argues that while corporal punishment may stop behaviors at specific instances, it does not help children morally internalize right from wrong; it's only a quick fix. Gershoff also found that the use of corporal punishment was found to increase

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