Parenting involves large responsibilities. Every parent desires that their children should be obedient and should follow the rules and regulations as per their wish. Parents tend to be possessive of their children. Sometimes this emotion of dominion leads to unnatural expectations from their wards. Any authoritarian behavior of parents leads to creating complexes in children in formative age and can have far reaching consequences. A child must behave ‘properly’ is the refrain of many a parent. A penchant for enforcing pre-defined set of rules may end up in corporal punishments. This situation often leads to spanking the child. However, many studies have found that spanking a child can indeed have a negative impact on development. The practice of spanking is found more predominant in lower income groups and in less educated parents. Many developed countries have actively taken the lead in banning corporal punishment in schools. However the laws are vague while dealing parent-child relationships.
Spanking kids can have long term effects!
The practice of spanking a child for doing something wrong is age old, but certainly not a desired one. Boys are spanked more often as compared to girls. The latest study of child behavior is deliberated at great length with many case studies. The conclusions shatter the old myth that thrashing can bring about good changes in a child’s behavior. It is exactly the opposite in most cases. Hence, parents, babysitters, teachers should now sit up and accept the findings. It is now established that long term harm is effected on children, when they are exposed to repeated spanking.
One of the outcomes of research says that children turn aggressive on repeated spanking. Thus the very purpose of parents to ‘discipline’ their child is defeated. In many cases the act can turn the child into depression. In many cases, children are found to adopt a tactic of lying to avoid a spanking. This again goes against the purported alibi of spanking for ‘disciplining’.
Medical analysts have also joined the study and have drawn certain conclusions. Thrashing a child, as per medical analysis, reduces gray matter in the brain. Reduction in gray matter in brain obviously would reduce the ‘intelligence level’ of the child. The learning ability of spanked children is drastically reduced. Affected children also show less proficiency in language skills. Psychologists have also found evidence of emotional damage, often resulting in trust deficit. Children were found hiding even their small mistakes for fear of reprisals. Overall their outlook towards outside world became suspect. Girls who experienced spanking were found to be victims of depression. Sociologists have advocated use of nonviolent methods for ‘correction’ in children’s behavior. Sociologists have concluded that the parents who spanked their children regularly were actually the ones, who faced a similar fate in their childhood. The irony of the situation is that these very parents heaped the same injustice on their wards.
The studies and deliberations at various levels on the subject of child abuse and spanking, finally show that there is very little evidence to confirm that the practice of spanking has contributed to overall improvement in children’s behavior, be at home or at school. What is required is dispassionate thinking and finding non violent ways of inculcating desired values in children. A little more enlightenment of parents and teachers can bring about positive change in their attitude. Children can certainly be spared of spanking, for good to everybody.
