Abstract

This research paper investigates the adverse effects of practicing corporal punishment
on children in home settings for the public, especially parents, to heighten their
awareness of this approach as a way of educating children. The necessary information
has been collected from news articles, websites, and blogs for professionals working
to protect children's rights. This shows that the long-held idea that using corporal
punishment as a way of child-rearing would not provide successful results. Instead, it
leads to a host of issues with physical and mental health, including aggressive
behaviors, an increase in school-related hostility, a risk of mental health disorders, and
cognitive issues that erode family confidence. Also, it discusses appropriate
educational practices that adults ought to apply to educate kids. On that account, the
debate demonstrates the precedent studies that were carried out, shedding light on this
pressing controversy, in an attempt to unveil all the hidden perspectives that are
inadvertently overlooked by many and to seek and opt for a more morally acceptable
alternative disciplinary method instead of using corporal punishment.
“Fear of corporal punishment obscures children's awareness of the compassion
underlying their parents’ demands” (Marshall B. Rosenberg). For many years, the Asian
older generation has asserted the claim that corporal punishment is an indispensable
disciplinary measure when it comes to educating the little ones; otherwise, their kids were
bound to become spoiled and insolent (Renteln, 2010). Compared to modern times,
despite the disparate ages, going against the expectation that people will cease this abuse,
physical punishment still seems to stand as a prevalent rearing measure in many
households even to this day, as a way of holding on to the belief and tradition. Many
parents exploit the justification that children of a young age are mindless, so the
perpetration of violent acts will not be taken to heart and very likely be forgotten over
time. Furthermore, attempting to back up this excuse, such adults argue that getting
physical is a necessity for deterring the children from misbehaving, backtalking, and
breaking rules so that hopefully they will grow into decent adults (Wang, 2020).
However, there have been many conducted researches and studies showing results that
prove otherwise; the detrimental effects of the practice of corporal punishment in regards
to the youngsters’ mental and physical well-being and educational outcome are far more
devastating than many have mistakenly assumed.

For starters, what kind of punishment qualifies as falling under the category of corporal
punishment? Corporal punishment, alternatively named physical punishment, is the
practice of applying physical force upon the recipients with the intention of causing the
so-called punished ones pain; the scale of severity is customizable (World Health
Organization: WHO, 2021b). When unfolding the corruption of this means of education,
the retribution far outweighs the short-term benefits. Noticeably, corporal punishment can
take a toll on children's mental well-being. Parents who exploit this child-rearing method
little anticipate such serious repercussions and, for a lack of sympathy towards their little
ones’ feelings, lash out in anger in most cases. When facing such tantrums from their
parents or caretakers, children grow to have constant baggage burdening their mind, such
as fear, anger, or shame, hiding their own thoughts and genuine emotions out of fear of
getting punished, undermining the carefree quality they once possessed. In the worst
cases, this will even lead to trauma and the downfall of their mental well-being (Nijhara,
Bhatia, Unnikrishnan, 2018). As seen in a study of 3,355 13- to 19-year-old students in
Hong Kong, China found that those who had previously experienced corporal punishment
were more likely to undergo ailments such as anxiety and stress, which furthermore
affirms the harm of this outrageous practice ("Global Initiative to End All", 2012). As
serious as that is, children who have gone through the physical torment of corporal
punishment oftentimes become antisocial later on. This problem, as a matter of fact, also
stems from the instability of their crippling mental state. The frequent exposure to
violence from a young age can very likely bring about a shift in a child’s personality
taking a turn for the worse, ingraining a sense of insecurity as well as the underlying,
invisible fears that are always present within them. This can lead to rebellious and
delinquent behaviors, such as avoiding school, lacking help-seeking behavior, and, most
horrid of all, a tendency to resort to using violence toward others (Nijhara, Bhatia &
Unnikrishnan, 2018). According to a study by Simon & Wurtele (2010), Sixty-three
percent of kids who frequently got spanked were down for using violence against a
friend, compared to 12% of kids who got spanked less often. Similarly, compared to 38%
of children who received less frequent spankings, 79% of those who had experienced
spankings on a daily basis favor hitting a sibling when encountering an argument. Beside
the rebellious phase some children possibly undergo, they regrettably learn to become
deceitful in order to get away from being punished, resulting in a failure to acknowledge
the wrong in their deeds. Such deceitful behavior is carried out in an attempt to avoid
scary whipping or smacking that were supposedly to reinforce deterrence towards
misbehavior but instead just incentivize children to outsmart the parents (Ansell, 2021).
One example is staying up late without regard to getting sufficient rest for school the next
day. The children only plague their minds with the terror of getting caught, so ample
effort is put into the attempt to get away in the act ("Discipline: the effect", 2019).
Moreover, it is also worth mentioning the risks that are posed to relationships between
family members and the alarming inclination to utilize violent means in adulthood. The
use of corporal punishment severs the family bond between the child and the parents,
since most are likely unable to comprehend the reasoning behind how someone from the
family, whom they dearly love and care for, can deliberately mistreat them. The
relationship can no longer go back to how it once was, with the initial trust children once
gave to their guardians long lost since the day the parents decided to assert their
authority, opting for this means of discipline (Edubirdie, 2021). To make matters worse,
abused children develop a tendency to abuse others when they become adults themselves.
This unfortunately tragic phenomenon can be observed in a 2011 study of a county in
central China by several United Nations agencies, 52 percent of males shamefully
admitted being violent toward their spouses, whereas 47 percent conceded they had
executed the act of physical punishment on their children (Tatlow, 2016). From their
record of being abused prematurely, the perception of employing violent approaches as
solutions for whatever problems at hand is subconsciously implemented in their mind;
they use fists rather than words, unworldly taking after their abusive role models.

Another point worth mentioning in the list of consequences of using punishment is the
adverse effect on the physical state of children, the recipients of the punishment. The use
of physical punishment can sometimes lead to a number of unexpectedly unfortunate
mishaps, ranging from mild, such as a small injury, to severe, which in most extreme
cases might even lead to permanent physical damage or even death. Many parents who
apply the practice as part of their children’s behavioral modification may confidently
assure themselves that they possess the self-control required to not overstep the
boundaries and be abusive in the act. Having said that, the fine line between abuse and
physical punishment may not be as distinct as many Asian parents have claimed,
considering there have been many instances that, as a matter of fact, substantiate that
parents are not always capable of remaining level-headed. One particularly infamous case
that has caused national outrage in Korea is the death of a 16-month-old baby named
Jungine, which was put under investigation. The cause of death was later revealed to the
public, indicating the adoptive parents as the culprits as several injuries, such as bruises,
could be seen on her body prior to her death (McCurry, 2021). This advocates for distrust
in the rational regulation of corporal punishment by parents themselves. One of many
possible factors hindering the sensibility of the supposedly mentally well-developed
parents is their challenged emotional state, such as frustration, anger, and exasperation,
when putting up with the youngster's misdeeds. When pushed to the limits, parents might
inadvertently commit the unthinkable, as can be seen from the adoptive mother of Jungin,
who perpetrated the abuse. Moreover, besides the external injuries on the children, there
is also an alarming association between physical punishment and internal damage that
might continue to persist until adulthood. This grave repercussion stems from the
declination of the abused mental well-being, more specifically speaking, the induced
stress. The accumulation of stress conceived from regular beating will undeniably put a
strain on the children’s brain development and eating habits, resulting in many ailments.
Harsh physical punishment distinctively attributes to the possible risk of getting illnesses,
such as cardiovascular disease (of borderline significance), arthritis, and obesity (Afifi,
2013), the most devastating of which is paralysis. This derives from the devastatingly
severe impairment imposed on the punished children’s nervous system due to the very act
of physical punishment, as in this case, whipping or spanking, to be more accurate (L.H,
2017). In closing, the transition from allegedly well-intentioned corporal punishment to
outright abuse is highly probable, causing immeasurable harm to the children both
externally and internally.

Many who are in favor of corporal punishment make the argument that when receiving a
penalty for misbehavior at school, children will regard it as the inevitable consequences
and comprehensively internalize why such an act they committed is so harshly criticized
upon, which induces children’s constant and unconditional compliance under every
circumstance. The given punishments thus play as demotivators, intimidating disobedient
children to take the initiative to modify their socially inappropriate behaviors.
Nonetheless, there is well-grounded evidence that demonstrates quite the opposite,
indicating that physical punishment makes little if any improvement in curbing the
rebellious and aggressive behavior of children. Despite having enforced punishments to
reprimand the misdeeds of children, reemergence of such behavior might remain after the
duration of the punishment, for the fear factor that parents solely rely on to exert
dominance is effective merely momentarily, fading away as children are often forgetful.
The researchers have affirmed this by doing a study that includes 33 families, in which
they discovered 41 incidents of spanking or hitting children in 15 different families over a
six-night period. And as one would expect, spanking does little to resolve any issue, for
after being hit, children were misbehaving again within 10 minutes in about 75 percent of
the incidents (Gray, 2014). In addition, the frequency of the morally unethical act can
desensitize fear in young children, which astonishingly fuels distorted perceptions toward
violence when they become mature adults because they were brought up in dysfunctional
households. Such conclusions can be drawn from the latest research, remarking on the
notable risk of abused children becoming abusers themselves when they come of age. All
the aforementioned defects of corporal punishment should be adequate motivators to
compel educators to seek less degrading alternatives with better regard for children’s
mental, physical, and academic well-being. Many viable disciplinary measures that have
been suggested by scientists essentially are in support of changing behavior through a
consolidation of reward, positive motivational techniques, and nonphysical punishment
modified to the misbehavior ("Corporal Punishment in Schools", n.d.). These alternatives,
in other words, are indicators of parental dedication striving to improve on expressing
their needs as well as recognizing and listening to those of their children. Such progress
made in the parent-child relationship will be further elevated if enthusiasm is shown in
the midst of compromising solutions that please both sides. The search for any other
measures that differ from this unethical abuse in anticipation of its demise is a daunting
task that is in dire need of completion.

In conclusion, corporal punishment may or may not ruthlessly and thoroughly ruin the
lives of the abused children, jeopardizing their physical, mental, and academic well-
being. The physically punished from young ages encounter a high risk of possessing a
mental trauma and a physical state withstanding both internal and external injuries,
diverse on the scale of severity. Such high prices are to be paid in return for immediate
compliance, but ironically, it is only momentary. Therefore, in an effort to eliminate this
atrocious act, another approach needs to be adopted in the hope of breaking the abusive
cycle and compensating for the mistreatment that has been passed on for generations.