Is it Worth It?

(Opposing Perspective: 497 words)

My friend, Mary, who has a 4 year old daughter, believes in corporal punishment. She claims it is very rare when she does hit or spank her daughter though. She says, “It is not like I am giving her an injury, it is just a slap.” In addition, she says, “Sometimes, I just do not have the time to sit down and have a discussion with her about how what she did was a no-no.” Many people that are for corporal punishment agree with Mary about the fact that they do not think a smack can hurt, and that they do not even think about sitting down and just communicating to resolve the problem. Others feel like corporal punishment is the only realistic way to get their kids to respect them.

On the other hand, Corporal Punishment is dangerous and leads kids to emotional problems, and bad behavior. Despite all of that, I mainly am against it because it is the least effective way in disciplining. According to experts, “positive reinforcement is a better way to change behavior over time.”(O’Callaghan) When you think about it, it really is common sense. If a parent is using violence to solve problems, it teaches the child to do the same. It also gives children the impression that it is okay for bigger people to pick on smaller people. It would then be hypocritical when a parent sees their child hurt someone and tells them to stop, because that’s who they learned it from. Positive reinforcement like communicating cannot possibly teach a child what hitting teaches. Teach children right from wrong by communicating, and explain the consequences. Most likely they will appreciate the concern.
All in all, Corporal punishment should be illegal in every state of the U.S. If hitting your husband or wife is considered assault, so should hitting a kid, whether it is harsh or not. Just like many of you, I got spanked as a kid as well. Just like you, I feel like I grew up to be pretty normal. Just like you, I am not depressed or crazy. I am not saying a small little smack is a life or death situation. I am saying that there is no point in a small little smack when there are other ways to solve the situation. A spank leaves pain for a day or two, and then the child forgets about it. Plus, corporal punishment to teach a child a lesson is the same as your manager hitting you for messing up at work on your first day there. Does is makes sense to punish someone at work who is not even experienced yet? Let alone hurt them? NO! Kids are young, and still learning, so they need to be raised in a positive way that will teach them good behavior. At the end of the day, parents want their kids to come to them for advice and to talk in general, so do not scare them away.

O'Callaghan, Kitty. "Is it Okay To Spank?." Parenting. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Nov. 2011. <http://www.parenting.com/article/is-it-okay-to-spank?page=0,2>.