Hahn 1
Philip A. Hahn
Mr. Ehling
English 10
22 April 2003
Corporal punishment of children is
one of the most important conflicts facing our nation today. In some states, school officials are still
allowed to use corporal punishment as a means of discipline. However, many states have abolished corporal
punishment in schools. Years ago,
corporal punishment was widely accepted; now, however, research and
psychological issues have contributed to the question whether corporal
punishment is actually healthy. Sparta
High School should not allow corporal punishment because it is an unhealthy,
outdated means of punishment which can easily be replaced with healthy alternatives.
Admittedly, corporal punishment is a
direct, effective way of punishment. It
may produce immediate results with children.
However, it makes discipline harder in the future. Corporal punishment doesn’t only hurt the
body physically, but it hurts the body mentally and socially. Spanking a child actually increases the
child’s non-compliant behavior in the future. It may trigger criminal, anti-social, violent, aggressive behavior later
in life. A study of over 440 boys concluded that one
out of every three boys maltreated during childhood will be almost certain to
exhibit anti-social or criminal behavior as an adult. Higher levels of adult
depression, psychiatric problems, and addictions can be expected outcomes of
using corporal punishment. Another study shows that children who were spanked
have a lower IQ when compared to children whose parents used other methods of
discipline and control. Corporal punishment trains a child to use
violence. Violence as a way of
behaving is a learned response, and it makes it acceptable for the strong to
use force against the weak. Children
affected with the use of corporal punishment have an increased likelihood of
becoming more aggressive towards their fellow students.
Furthermore, corporal punishment can
greatly hurt a child physically. Because
corporal punishment involves physical abuse to the body, it is obvious that the
intended minor abuse to the body can turn more serious. Boxing ears can result in a burst
eardrum. Shaking can cause a concussion,
whiplash, blindness, serious brain damage, or even death. Spanking can injure
muscles, genitals or the spine. Hitting
a child's hands can injure bones, blood vessels, joints and ligaments. It can also lead to early arthritis. These serious injuries are only a few of the
serious injuries that can result. It is
very obvious that minor physical abuse can lead to more serious injury to the
body.
Being aware of both the mental,
social, and physical results of corporal punishment, school officials must turn
to more healthy ways of punishment. There
many disciplinary actions the school could take. Assigning suspensions, detentions, and
restrictions are effective ways of punishment.
These punishments are very efficient and deter students from repeating
the same action in order to avoid the punishment. These punishments are effective because of
the extreme physiological factors associated with them. While these are psychological punishments
that affect the mind, they are most likely to affect the mind temporarily instead
of permanently.
In conclusion, Sparta High School
should not allow the use of corporal punishment because of the physical,
social, and mental damages it can bring.
Many schools have realized the effects and have abolished it. While corporal punishment may serve as an
effective means of punishment in the short term, it is inherently damaging in
the long run.
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