CORPORAL punishment is an extremely controversial topic and yet still a widely used discipline worldwide, especially in Guyana. I know many parents who have used this technique, and, in some cases, I have even seen where they believe it was needed. However, I’m sorry to report-and this is not my opinion, but rather based on scientific evidence-it does NOT work in properly correcting behaviour.

Please make no mistake that corporal punishment refers to children’s physical punishment, which means it is a form of physical abuse and a violation of children’s human rights. I know some of you out there may laugh at that, and unfortunately, that is the first problem. Children have rights and should be respected as such. Most importantly,they should not be taught at a young age that physical acts are the resolution to any problem.
Some typical examples that I have seen in and outside of Guyana are spanking, slapping, pinching, hitting with an object, and forcing children to consume unpleasant substances such as soap or hot pepper.

To argue whether it is effective or not, research shows that hitting a child when they do something wrong does have an instant effect on whether they may or may not do it again at that very moment. The key word there is MAY, as hitting children does not teach them right from wrong in any sense of the narrative. They may not repeat the behaviour that very second in your presence, but they will again another time.

There is an important difference between children fearing you and respecting you. If they fear you, they may not repeat the behaviour in front of you, simply because they fear the physical punishment. However, if you healthily communicate to them why it is right from wrong, they will respect you enough not to repeat the behaviour. Yes, it is better to teach children healthy ways to resolve conflict- crazy right?

Before I get into ways of effective punishment, I would like to speak about what physical punishment actually does to your children. Yes, you often get immediate, compliant behaviour in children, but what do you get in the long run? Decades of research show that physical punishment leads to increased aggression, anti-social behaviour, criminal behaviours, and mental health issues and illnesses such as depression and substance abuse.

One of the largest pieces of research concerning corporal punishment was conducted by Dr Elizabeth Thompson Gershoff of the National Center for Children at Columbia University. She reviewed 88 studies that had over 62 years of data. She specifically focused on moral internalization, relationship quality with parent, future mental health diagnosis and future aggressive and criminal behaviour. During the research, there were undeniably strong associations and the likelihood of the aforementioned happening if the individual had experienced corporal punishment as a child. The research also showed generational acceptance and therefore acts. Meaning, parents who were physically punished as children were more likely to do the same to their own; children who were physically punished were more likely to endorse hitting or bullying as a means of resolving their conflicts with friends, siblings and partners later in life.

The research also determined that the frequency and severity of corporal punishment matter. The more often or more harshly a child was hit, the more likely all the aforementioned problems were to occur. This adds to the dangerous nature of this type of punishment, as if we consider that children become used to it, it indicates that parents believe they have to keep escalating it for the children to continuously take it seriously.

So, physical punishment instills hostility and a feeling of powerlessness over children. It doesn’t even work and adds on many more issues long-term? Time to consider other options I believe.
First of all, it would be good to acknowledge that discipline isn’t about controlling kids, but rather teaching them how to control themselves. That is the goal and good discipline, like anything else, is not quick or easy.
The most effective forms of punishment have been shown to be healthy communication, reinforcement,limit- setting, redirecting and implementing logical consequences.

As regards reinforcement, there are four types that aid in either encouraging (reinforcing) or discouraging (punishing) certain behaviours. Positive punishment occurs when something unpleasant is added, making the behaviour less likely to continue or re-occur. For example, when you give your child a chore which they don’t like to do. Positive reinforcement occurs when something pleasant is added, making the behaviour more likely to continue or re-occur. For example, you give your child a new toy if they do something good that you have asked them to do. Negative punishment occurs when something pleasant is taken away that makes the behaviour less likely to continue or to re-occur. For example, taking away a toy when there is undesirable behaviour.

Negative reinforcement occurs when something unpleasant is taken away that makes the behaviour more likely to continue or re-occur. For example, if you eliminate a chore that your child does not like to do because of their good behaviour. The key to making reinforcement effective is dealing with the punishment (good or bad) immediately after the behaviour occurs.

Limit-setting is another effective form of punishment. This is a process parents use to teach their children the rules of the family and the world – what is expected of them, how far they can go, and what happens if they go too far. Setting a limit is not the same as issuing an ultimatum, nor are they threats. Limits offer choices with consequences. For example, if you would like your child to clean his/her room, a threat is- “If you don’t clean your room, you can’t see your friends this weekend.” A limit is “If you clean up your room, you can go out with your friends this weekend. If you don’t clean your room, then you won’t be allowed to go out with your friends. It’s your decision.” Through limits, children begin to understand that their actions, positive or negative, result in predictable consequences.

Redirecting is also effective. There is verbal and physical redirection. Verbal redirection involves verbally requesting a behaviour change. The parent first tells the child that the behaviour is not appropriate or appreciated and then tells them what is acceptable. For example: A child is standing on a chair. Say “please don’t stand on the chair, chairs are meant to be sat on. Physical redirection is added on if verbal redirection is not effective. Parents can use a calm and nurturing touch to redirect the child away from inappropriate behaviour. For example: A child is standing on a chair. Say “please don’t stand on the chair. Chairs are meant to be sat on,” while gently placing your hand on the child’s back to help them sit down or calmly helping them off the chair. The key to making redirecting effective is to be as specific as possible about the changes you want.

Implementing logical consequences that teach life lessons, in my opinion, is one of the best ways to go. Later in life, when it’s time to be “punished” by an employer, partner or peer, the normal situation would/ should not be abuse. Think of real-life consequences and apply them as punishment, so your child actually learns life lessons. For example, if your child breaks something, make them do chores to earn money to fix it.

Overall, corporal punishment damages the relationship between parent and child. This relationship is supposed to be surrounded by trust, stability, safety, and security. How can a child feel that way if they are instead continuously scared?

Thank you for reading. Please continue to send suggested topics to caitlinvieira@gmail.com