Say No to Spanking

Discipline is a way of teaching the child the moral behavior approved by the social group. The positive concepts of discipline emphasize on inner growth, self discipline and self control.

• According to recent research in 2017 at the University of Missouri, spanking during early childhood can have negative impact on child’s behavior, personality and temperament even in teenage years.
• Physical punishment such as slapping, spanking, whipping, or beating is known as “corporal punishment”. Corporal punishment is one of the least satisfactory forms of punishments.
• Most parents feel angry when they spank and anger is the dominant factor. Rather than evaluating the act of child, adult release their tension, frustration and anger by hitting the child.
• Actually child do not learn anything or any moral behavior when spanked, he just remembers that his parents or teacher hit him and only recall bad memory associated with it. There will be indirect negative effect on how a child feel and perceive things in future.
• Child may become resentful or rebellious.
• Child’s inner anger, frustration usually projected on some innocent victim (like younger siblings or classmates). They feel that through inflicting physical pain to others is the only way to prove oneself right and dominant. So, they may bully others.
• The child may become more aggressive, arrogant, bossy or may involve in alcohol or drug use or in anti-social behavior.
• Child may become so timid, submissive, lack confidence that he cannot learn to make his own decisions later in life.
• It damages child- parent relationship. It encourages the child to fear the parents as opposed to respecting them.

What to do?
Be a model for kid how to control anger. Calm down first and then talk to the child. Always tell him reason why he is not allowed to do certain things. Instead of spanking motivate positive discipline. When a desired behavior is done by child, reward should be given which may be
words of approval, a smile, a pat on the back or a gift.