The Merits of Spanking

Persuasive Essay # 118070

Child, Youth Issues > Child Abuse
Psychology > Child and Adolescent
Psychology > Theory

A persuasive paper that moderate spanking as a form of discipline is beneficial to children.

2,446 words () | 5 sources | MLA | 2009 United States

Paper Summary:

The paper explores the theories of Jean Piaget, Erik Erikson and Lawrence Kohlberg and reaches the conclusion that spanking is actually a beneficial tool for a child's moral, social and psychological development. The paper reveals that there has been no hard evidence to support the idea that spanking leads to later violence in children and highlights research that societies who have the harshest discipline tend to have the least violent crime. The paper also provides evidence that parents who spank their children with a modicum of temperance have children who are well-adjusted, have a definitive sense of morality and are unlikely to repeat the negative behavior.

From the Paper:

"The subject of spanking has become extremely controversial in the past few decades. One can read accounts in the newspaper about supposedly abusive parents who have spent time in jail for spanking their children. Parents who are otherwise logical have become rabid advocates for the anti-spanking movement. There are also those parents who tout the benefits of occasional spanking when other disciplinary measures have failed.
"The question is who is correct? If we approach the issue from the standpoint of science and an examination of child development, the answer becomes clear. Moderate spanking, in situations where the child needs to comprehend the seriousness of a negative action, seems to be the most rational and viable method of child rearing."

Sample of Sources Used:

www.christianparents.net/Children/C116_Bum_Rap.htm (Article by Okey Chigbo)
www.revelationnews.com/kohlberg.html
www.learningplaceonline.com/stages/organize/Erikson.htm (Article by Allison Harder)
www.funderstanding.com/piaget.cfm
Ronald L. Simons, Christine Johnson, and Rand O. Conger, Critical Limitations of AntiDisciplinary Actions: Fundamental Problems with Straus' Findings. Journal of Marriage and Family, August 1994.