Why Spankings Are An Unethical Form of Punishment

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Many parents agree with the action of spanking as a discipline; others find spanking children morally unacceptable. Spanking has been socially acceptable, especially in black households, because of slavery in the Black community. In the articles read, one author argues that spanking is proper, whereas the other claims that there are other methods of disciplining your child.

An article from SLATE believes that parents should think before they act out of frustration towards their children. The adverse effects of spanking your child not only show right after the act but also have a long-term impact on the relationship between the child and the parent. “The negative effects on children include increased aggression and non-compliance.” They continue to say that the entire blame cannot be put on the parent. It’s generational. Parents were also spanked when they were misbehaving, so they believe that that’s what they should do to get their child to behave. Studies showed that parents believe that spanking their child resolves the problem over time, and mild punishment stops working overtime. According to SLATE, “parents believe corporal punishments work.” The continuation of spanking is because of the small achievement they receive now.

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Parents feel a burst of energy, excitement, or thrill when they successfully get their child to behave after a long time. After that tactic works, that’s the method they continuously use to get their way. Over time, the child will become numb to this treatment and start to rebel, which the parent doesn’t realize until it’s too late. Furthermore, children are majorly affected by their parent’s behavior and attitude, both physically and mentally. It can do damage. Slate states, “increased risk of a mental health problem (depression or anxiety, for instance).” Physically hitting someone, especially as a child, can cause more damage to their body in the future. Slate says, “diminished ability to control one’s impulses and poor physical-health outcomes (cancer, heart disease, chronic respiratory disease).” In summary, spanking your child is a temporary solution that can cause a bigger problem. Slate proves this not only with examples but also with evidence.

TIME magazine disagrees with the argument that you shouldn’t be able to spank your child. They believe spanking is an excellent method to discipline your child and everyone has their form of parenting. “Spanking, then, can be one effective discipline option.” Their stance came after an NFL player was arrested after being accused of abusing his four-year-old. Spanking can be accepted if done with guidelines. Guidelines may be an excellent way to handle spankings because there is a clear line between spanking and abuse. It would be best if you weren’t hitting your child to the point where they have bruises or any form of indication on their body. TIME also believes there should be an age range where spanking is acceptable. For example, you shouldn’t be spanking an infant or toddler. That form of discipline should start in kindergarten and stop before they even reach their teens. “Spanking should be phased out completely before adolescence.” Another guideline they said should be applied only to spanking when it’s the last resort and response to ultimate disobedience.

TIME continues to give more examples of why spanking is an acceptable form of discipline. They realize that in some cases, spanking is not the way to go, but with the proper precautions, spanking is an effective form of punishment. TIME states, “Punishment is motivated by anger, focus on the past, and results in either compliance (due to fear) or rebellion and feelings of shame, guilt and/or hostility.” Furthermore, they agree that acting out of anger instead of thinking isn’t a responsible form of punishment. “For parents who do choose to spank, the proper philosophy and approach is extremely important.” To sum it up, TIME agrees that spankings are the appropriate punishment, but there should be procedures.

Lastly, after reading both articles and experiencing corporal punishment, I concluded that spanking is an inappropriate punishment. Looking at my childhood, my parents always took their anger out on me through the form of spankings. This fractured the trust and relationship with them. Looking at the SLATE article, it resonated with me. As a child, they are bound to make mistakes, and we can’t fully control them. Corporal punishment is deeply rooted in slavery, whenever the master felt he wasn’t being respected or his authority was questioned, they would use a whip to punish slaves. Now it’s modernized where parents are whooping their child. Seeing how whooping is in predominantly black households, it is fair to say whooping h been passed down for generations. Different forms of punishment can be given without using physical force. To continue, with the relationship being fractured arising from spankings, as the child gets older, they will begin to hold secrets and resent their parents. Looking at both the pros and cons of spanking, the cons outweigh the pros. Spanking, in general, is morally unethical and should be stopped. While it is true that parents should be able to raise their child in the way they believe fits, it is essential to consider the effects on the child.