A Parental Disciplinary Choice The way that parents choose to discipline their children is an ongoing debate of whether or not children should be exposed to physical punishment like spanking. Notably, the reasons behind all of the different viewpoints are the different cultural experiences that people have. Cultural backgrounds, disciplinary actions, and long-term effects of spanking on children are pieces of evidence that support the notion that spanking should be a viable option for child rearing.
One of the reasons why spanking is an option for child rearing is that cultural backgrounds and environments have a large impact on family dynamics. While spanking may be a characteristic of one culture, another culture could have a different perception …show more content…
Spanking teaches children to use the power of discernment based on how they were taught by their parent through conversations and moments of discipline such as spanking. According to The Spanking Controversy, “Those who were spanked reported that they understood the reasons why they were spanked and also realized the benefits spanking had in helping them develop their [self] discipline.” This shows that many parents who spanked their children explained to the children the reason why they were being spanked. According to a study conducted in The Ethnic Differences on the Link Between Physical Discipline and Later Adolescent Externalizing Behaviors, “African American children regard spanking as a legitimate, albeit painful, parenting practice that is carried out with their best interest at heart.” Based on the study, children According to Janie Watson, her usage of spanking as a means for child rearing allowed her children and her granddaughter to develop their discernment of right from wrong. This development of discernment helped build trust between Mrs. Watson and her children and granddaughter because she was able to believe that they had enough common sense to do what was right. One could also say that children who are disciplined by spanking have a closer relationship to the parent that administered the spanking. According to Clarence Watson, his brother, who was the known