I bet you have already seen parents spanking their children as a way of disciplining the unruly children. This act has been here for as long as there have been parents. However, the act of spanking is not accepted everywhere in the world especially in Asia and Africa. There are actually several countries in the world where spanking children is prohibited by law. Some of these jurisdictions include The UK, the US, and Canada. Though, this act has its own pros and cons.
Pros:
1. it’s an effective way of disciplining children-This is the first benefit. It’s actually used and regarded as the best way of disciplining boisterous children. However, this is only the case when it’s done in a controlled environment.
2. The child can behave better-After punishing them this way, you are sure you will not hurt them physically and the child will still learn from it. What this means is that spanking child can make them behave better.
3. Love-don’t be surprised to find some parents that spank their children as a form of showing love to them. Although this is not accepted in many regions it’s used to show love to children and adults alike. Even adults spank their spouses as a form of affirming their love.
4. Happiness-Many parents will spank their children when they are happy or even when they are making jokes. It’s the same with adults. However, in some cases, it might be regarded as a criminal offense that can be punished.
5. A way of seeking respect-Most parents wants to be feared by their children which directly translates into being respected. If in any cause you are dealing with an unruly child that you think doesn’t respect you, spanking them can be beneficial.
6. The child will learn to make better decisions-The The fact is that destinies are determined by decision making and that is exactly what a parent wants for their child. Spanking them can prove they have made a wrong decision that they should learn from.
7. You teach them self-control-spanking a child can actually teach them self-control. They will feel punished for lack of self-control
8. You want the child to be accountable-children know how to blame and if you don’t spank them sometimes, then it can actually make them careless. So spanking them can teach them accountability and self-control.
9. A good method of setting standards– The fact is that children need limits especially if they are getting out of hand. So spanking them is one of the methods of setting that limit and notifying them that they have crossed the border.
10. It’s a working method-although you will not find many studies affirming this, many parents believe that spanking their children works as a method of disciplining them and making them accountable.
Cons:
1. Experts oppose spanking-If the experts deny any benefits of spanking, why do you still want to try it? There are very few studies that support spanking as a method of disciplining a child. The American Academy of Pediatrics doesn’t support spanking children.
2. It installs fear-Children will develop fear when you spank them. They will actually fear you which I think can strain their openness especially if they were very open about issues they have in their minds.
3. It teaches aggression-Spanking can also teach aggression. This is always the case because the child will learn that it’s always through spanking and aggression that they can solve personal issues with friends.
4. There’s the potential for doing it wrong-many experts stand firm affirming their dislike to spanking. What this means is that there are many issues that can come up whenever you try to spank your child. This increases the chances of doing it wrong.
5. Illegal in some areas-The UK, The US, Canada, and many other jurisdictions have laws against spanking. What this means is that there are some chances that you can be punished when you try spanking your child.
6. Spanking and beating have no difference-There chances that you will end up beating your child thinking you are just spanking him/her. For this reason, many people think it’s not an effective way of punishing an unruly child.
7. It lowers their self-esteem– As a parent, you should at all costs make sure the self-esteem of your children is on a high level. Spanking them can greatly affect their self-esteem.
8. it’s an example of excessive force-There are better alternatives for disciplining a child. This means that spanking a child is an example of excessive force.
9. The message will not get there– To know you spank your child to pass a message, although it’s effective, there are other situations that can pass the message better.
10. Condemned by many societies-There are many legions of the world that don’t support this at all. Most of them actually regard this as a way of sexual harassment.
