Physical+Punishment,+Do+or+Don't?

‍‍‍‍‍Topic: Is physical force a justifiable method of punishing children?
==‍‍‍‍‍Thesis Statement: Physical force, such as spanking or slapping, is a cruel and ineffective way of punishing children.==

Outline:
I. Spanking can be harmful- and not just short term. Physical punishment can leave long-lasting marks on a child, including decreasing the child's willingness to trust others and damaging their sense of security. Spanking, or other physical punishments, can permanently damage the parent-child relationship. Children may find that physical force is a normal way of dealing with problems if they are punished physically on a regular basis. Physical punishment can encourage bullying or violent behavior in children.
 * Physical force, such as spanking or slapping, is a cruel and ineffective way of punishing children.

II. Physical punishment can immensely damage a child's social skills- whether interacting with peers or family members.
 * Physical punishment can permanently corrupt the parent-child relationship (Slade).
 * Very few physically abused children are social- they hardly play with their friends and are afraid of interacting with peers (Bachar).
 * Physically abused children are unable of maintaining healthy relationships with peers, and they typically demonstrate bad behaviors (Bachar).

III. Physically punishing children can encourage violent behaviors and incorrect methods of dealing with conflicts.
 * Physical punishment can cause children to think that being violent is a normal way to deal with struggles or conflicts (Borowsky).
 * If under physical punishment, children, or more specifically adolescents, can be influenced to fight or bully peers (Borowsky).
 * If effective means of discipline are not used (i.e. thoroughly explaining why the child is being punished), the child will not understand how to resolve problems in an appropriate manor (Borowsky).

IV. Corporal punishment can greatly lower a child's self-esteem, self-confidence, and can effect their cognitive development.
 * When physically abused and non-abused children are compared, it is shown that the physically abused have negative emotional reactions and have low self-confidence (Bachar).
 * Spanking, or other means of physical punishment, can injure the child's eagerness to trust adults and harm their sense of security (Bachar).
 * Physical punishment negatively affects a child's cognitive development- meaning the child will have a harder time reasoning and making sense of things (Paolucci).

V. Conclusion - Don't write anything here yet. = =

Rough draft:
Spanking can be harmful- and not just short term. Physical punishment can leave long-lasting marks on a child, including decreasing the child's willingness to trust others and damaging their sense of security. Spanking, or other corporal punishments, can permanently damage the parent-child relationship. Children may find that physical force is a normal way of dealing with problems if they are physically punished on a regular basis. Physical punishment can encourage bullying or violent behavior in children. Physical force, such as spanking or slapping, is a cruel and ineffective way of punishing children.

Physical punishment can immensely damage a child's social skills- whether interacting with peers or family members. Physical force or punishment can permanently corrupt the parent-child relationship (Slade). When parents slap or spank their child, he or she can become very afraid of their parents. In such a case, the child could typically not have as much trust in their parents after the punishment, and therefore, a lack of good communication with them. Very few physically abused children are social- they hardly play with any friends and are afraid of interacting with peers (Bachar). According to a study, corporally punished children are proven to have fewer friends, so of course they don't play or hang out with them very often. Physically abused children are probably afraid of letting peers/friends see the conditions in which they live in: harsh and cruel. Physically abused children are unable of maintaining healthy relationships with peers, and they normally demonstrate bad behaviors (Bachar). Teachers generally find the physically abused children behaviorally troubled and difficult to work with. Having agitated attitudes, making and keeping friends is more of a challenge to the corporally abused. Corporal punishment can greatly ruin a child's social ability- in all aspects of life, including school, friends, peers, and family.

Physically punishing children can encourage violent behaviors and incorrect methods of dealing with conflicts. Physical punishment can cause children to think that being violent is a normal way to deal with struggles or conflicts (Borowsky). When children see their parents using phyiscal force to deal with problems, it is likely that the children will as well. Children could get angry easier and jump immediately to violence at any problem they face. If under physical punishment, children, or more specifically adolescents, can be influenced to fight or bully peers (Borowsky). Adolescents may bully peers without thinking it is violent because they are so used to the violence being used at home. Children or adolescents could become angry that they are phyisically abused/punished and may take it out on other peers or adults when even slightly provoked. If effective means of discipline are not used (i.e. thoroughly explaining why the child is being punished), the child will not understand how to resolve problems in an appropriate manor (Borowsky). Talking and communicating is a very reasonable and effective method of disciplining children because it can teach children how to cope and deal with any given problem. When communication is common between parents and child, the child will be encouraged to use good communication when they grow older. Corporal punishment can damage a child's way of dealing with problems and can encourage violence- and these are characteristics that could last the child's entire life.

Corporal punishment can greatly lower a child's self-esteem, self-confidence, and can effect their cognitive development. When physically abused and non-abused children are compared, it is shown that the physically abused have negative emotional reactions and have low self-confidence (Bachar). It's almost as if when parents are beating, slapping or spanking, they are also beating down on their self-confidence. The punishment causes children to be less ambitious and not as confident in themselves as non-abused children seem to be. Spanking, or other means of physical punishment, can injure the child's eagerness to trust adults and harm their sense of security (Bachar). Even though some say spanking does not cause much harm on the children, spanking can cause children to not feel as safe around their parents, no matter how hard the blow is. Spanking may cause children to become afraid of their parents and even unwilling to trust them, even if the spank caused them to behave properly for the time being. Physical punishment negatively affects a child's cognitive development- meaning the child will have a harder time reasoning and making sense of things (Paolucci). When parents properly talk to their child, the child's cognition improves- widening the child's vocabulary and reasoning. However, when parents do not use communication wisely, their child's ability to judge, reason, and overall behave correctly, will be negatively affected. Physically punishing children can decrease their ability to deal with their emotions and feelings about themselves.

Physically punishing children can leave lasting harmful emotional or physical scars on children of any age. It can make them feel awful about themselves, like they are doing everything wrong. They will not do as well in school as other children do, and they could be considered behaviorally disturbed by their teachers. Physical punishment is such a cruel and ineffective way of disciplining children because there could be so many potentially damaging effects. Corporal punishment should not be used because it could emotionally distress the child, causing the child to not be as social. If parents are aware of all the possible effects of corporal punishment, then they could save the child from stress, low self-confidence, and doing worse in school. Parents should use productive methods of disciplining children, such as speaking calmly to the child, so the child will not have to suffer the potential consequences of physical punishment.