Corporal punishment is the act of using physical violence to teach or discipline. Corporal punishment, as it relates to children, can be described as spanking to teach a lesson. When a child is acting out towards authority, it is the responsibility of the parent to use corporal punishment to discipline the child. The role of corporal punishment in society is to teach discipline and the understanding of consequences.
To have an orderly society, discipline must be taught at a young age. Brian Wilson, author of “Counterpoint: The Benefits of Corporal Punishment” states, “discipline is necessary to keep children accountable, and to ensure that the few who refuse to follow directions do not unfairly hamper the chances of others to learn essential skills ” (Wilson, 2014). The few who are acting out need to be disciplined so that the many who are acting orderly can continue learning. This does not mean viciously beating the child but a firm spanking to show seriousness of the situation. Brian Wilson agrees with this by saying, “a school administrator giving a child a firm swat on the bottom when other forms of discipline do not work is indeed embarrassing, but if all it damages is the ego, spanking is undoubtedly an appropriate punishment.” (Wilson, 2014). He is not advocating seriously injuring children, but rather a firm spanking to instill discipline. This will lead to an understanding of consequences for their actions.
One of the benefits of corporal punishment is teaching consequences. The Encyclopedia of Crime and Justice states that, “corporal punishment satisfies demands for reprisal and is seen as a just penalty for certain kinds of offenses” (HAWKINS & FRASE, 2002). This means that spanking is a consequence for negative actions. When children disobey they are taught the consequences of their actions through corporal punishment. It can also as a deterrent from disobedience. Brian Wilson claims, “to have a coach or assistant principal display a large paddle in their office provides many students with enough incentive to listen to their teachers” (Wilson, 2014). This is another example of students learning consequences of their actions.
In conclusion, corporal punishment is a way to deter negative actions by instilling discipline and an understanding of consequences. Children learn to obey authority through spanking, and an understanding that the consequences of their acting out is a spanking. This does not mean that you should just hit the child, but rather a swat on the bottom firmly enough to teach the child discipline and consequences.
References
HAWKINS, G., & FRASE, R. S. (2002). Corporal Punishment. Retrieved from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/corporal_punishment.aspx
Last Name, F. M. (Year). Article Title. Journal Title, Pages From - To.
Last Name, F. M. (Year). Book Title. City Name: Publisher Name.
Wilson, B. (2014, April). Counterpoint: The Benefits of Corporal Punishment. Retrieved from EBSCO Host: http://connection.ebscohost.com/c/articles/12437654/counterpoint-benefits-corporal-punishment
