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Psychological Effects of Corporal Punishment

Violeta Villaroman-Bautista, Ph.D. Department of Psychology University of the Philippines

I am Violeta Bautista, a faculty of the Psychology Dept of U.P. I am in the field called Clinical Psychology. Aside from teaching I do counseling and psychotherapy in the clinic. I have encountered in my practice the many ways by which the use of corporal punishment has had deleterious effects on the lives of children. Though the would-be effects of such punishment are related to a host of other factors in the family of the children, by and large corporal punishment may be identified as a major factor that contributes to many negative effects on the behavior & personality of children. If I may state a generalization from the many actual cases in my own practice and from the literature in this topic, it is the following- Corporal punishment is able to bring immediate compliance among children but in the long run, it proves to be ineffective and poses great risks to the psychological and physical well being of children. This is because corporal punishment-- 1. Weakens the trust bonds between parents and their children. The children are confused and pained that the ones they love and who profess to love them are also the ones who bring them pain (ACEI, 2007). 2. Creates fear in the child. The message that can get to a child from a slap or spanking is that a parent or a trusted adult is prepared to induce pain to get obedience. 3. Engenders feelings of confusion, resentment and anger. Many children who received corporal punishment grow up to be angry adults. Studies have shown that the more frequent the spanking the children received the more intense is the anger that they experience in their adult years. 4. Lowers the child’s self esteem. Children tend to perceive corporal punishment as rejection by the punisher-usually the parents. The feeling of rejection together with that of shame which comes from experiencing a humiliating event contribute to the weakening of the child’s sense of self worth (Sternberg et. al., 1993, Straus, 1994, Hyman, 1997). 5. Engenders a more external locus of control. An external locus of control is the person’s sense that he/she is not able to effectively control what is happening in his/her life, and therefore she or he is under the mercy of external circumstances. Studies have shown that children who experienced physical punishment have higher external locus of control, suggesting their need for more confidence and guidance in dealing with life stressors.

6. Carries a strong potential for escalation. The problem with the use of corporal punishment is that, if punishments are to maintain their efficacy, the amount of force required may have to be increased over successive punishments. This was observed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, which stated that: "The only way to maintain the initial effect of spanking is to systematically increase the intensity with which it is delivered, which can quickly escalate into abuse". Additionally, the Academy noted that: "Parents who spank their children are more likely to use other unacceptable forms of corporal punishment. In the Philippines, that can include pagpapaluhod sa mongo, pagbitin ng patiwarik habang nasa loob ng sako o pagkukulong sa toilet or madilim na kuwarto.

Escalation can also result from the parents losing control in the heat of their frustration and anger. One study found that 40% of 111 mothers interviewed were worried that they could possibly hurt their children. It has been observed that frustrated parents turn to spanking when attempting to discipline their child, and then get carried away (given the arguable continuum between spanking and hitting). 7. Trains a child to use violence. Spanking can teach children that it is acceptable for the strong to use force against the weak. It sends a message to the child that violence is a viable option for solving problems (Straus, Gelles, & Steinmetz, 1980; Straus, Sugarman, & Giles-Sims, 1997). 8. Is associated with more behavioral problems. Among toddlers and young children, there is evidence that frequent spanking is correlated with higher levels of anti-social behaviors when the children were observed 2-4 years later. These behaviors included higher levels of hitting siblings, hitting other children in school, defying parents and ignoring parental rules. It is ironic then that though corporal punishment gets immediate compliance, in the long run, it actually works against its objective (that is obedience).

Reasons for corporal punishment possibly causing increased misbehavior and defiance in the long run may include: children imitating the corporally-punishing behavior of their parents by hitting other people; acting out of resentment stemming from corporal punishment; reduced self-esteem; loss of opportunities to learn peaceful conflict resolution; punishing the parents for the acts of corporal punishment; and assertion of freedom and dignity by refusing to be controlled by corporal punishment.

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There is also evidence that changes in parental disciplinary practices, specifically changing from using corporal punishment to positive parenting, result in changes in the children's aggression (Pitzer, 2002). Non-aggressive children at the start of the study who were spanked were twice as aggressive by the end of the study. Those who were aggressive at the start but were not spanked throughout the study were half as aggressive at the end of the study.

9. Perpetuates the cycle of violence within families. In my practice, whenever I encounter cases of children who were exposed to extreme or frequent physical discipline, I always ask the parents how they were disciplined by their own parents. More often than not I find out that they too suffered from extreme forms of corporal punishment. Studies in fact show that the more a child is hit, the more likely it is that the child, when an adult, will hit his or her children, spouse, or friends (Julian & McKenry, 1993; Straus, 1991, 1994; Straus & Gelles, 1990; Straus & Kantor, 1992; Widom, 1989; Wolfe, 1987). In fact, in the study of Straus and his colleagues, parents who were physically punished 30 or more times as adolescents were three times more likely to abuse their children physically as those who never received physical punishment. Straus however noted that his models shows that 76% of parents who were hit many times (30 or more) as adolescents, did not in turn, abuse their children--- indicating that children are resilient and has the ability to transcend the conditioning effects of life events. 10. Adversely affects the child’s cognitive functioning. A landmark study among 1-4 years old American children showed that the more often a child is spanked, the lower they score in IQ test four years later. The difference in iQ scores were attributed by the researchers to (1) greater verbal interaction non-spanking parents may be having with their children, this resulting in the development of more neuronal connections which is responsible for higher IQ scores among the non-spanked children, and (2) greater emotional interference to child’s cognitive processing, the interference being brought about by the stress that comes from experiencing physical punishment (Straus and Paschall, 1998). 11. Stunts internalization of moral values and capacity for empathy. Studies show that children who get spanked regularly are more likely to cheat or lie, be disobedient at school, bully others and show less remorse (ACEI, 2007). This finding is to be expected noting the fact that corporal punishment though initially able to elicit immediate compliance does nothing to help the child understand and appreciate the moral reasoning behind the situation. (Cyclone, 2001, Maldonado, 2005). 12. Is linked to many adult problems. Corporal punishment studies indicate that there is a clear tendency for children exposed to physical discipline to develop anxiety, disorder, depression, alcohol abuse or dependence and externalizing of problems (Strauss ,1985, Berkowitz, 1993, McMillan,1995). Hyman (19970) based on his practice as a clinician notes that frequent and harsh spankings can cause

young children to bottle up their feelings of fear, anger, and hostility thus making them prone to depression and suicide in later years. Studies have also noted that criminal, anti-social, violent, aggressive behavior manifest in the lives of adults who in their adolescence have been exposed to excessive physical discipline. These findings led many researchers to wonder if the violence associated with conventional levels of corporal punishment could also trigger violent or aggressive behavior later in life.

13. Hinders success in life. Adah Maurer & James S. Wallerstein in 1987, studied the childhood history of five groups of people- violent inmates at San Quentin, juvenile delinquents, high school drop outs, college students and professionals. Maurer and Wallerstein concluded from this study that the more someone is successful in life (not being a juvenile delinquent, not dropping out of school etc.) the less likely that they were physically punished as a child or exposed to severe physical punishment. To put it the other way around: the more physical punishment a child has been exposed to, the more likely he/she will become a failure in life – become a high-school dropout, a delinquent and even a criminal."

It is in the light of these findings that I appreciate the value of the Proposed Anti-Corporal Punishment Bill being introduced to the House by the Honorable Monica Louise Prieto Teodoro. As a Filipino, I am thankful that on the whole that Philippine culture is basically affirming of the value of the person and this includes a general positive regard for children. It is the reality though, whether in the Philippines or elsewhere, that parenting is not always based on sound assumptions and practice. Such parenting may include using corporal punishment and other ways that humiliate or degrade children ways of parenting. I think the Bill under discussion will help toward stopping the practice and may be part of the more general public advocacy for sound parenting in the country. As a psychologist, I join ranks with many of my colleagues locally and internationally who challenge the use of a disciplinary strategy that has been proven to be ineffective and even poses risks to the well being of the children. This Bill gives voice to my advocacy arising from my academic heritage. As a Christian Filipino psychologist, I share the high regard for humanity and the duty to protect those vulnerable to suffer. I value children as part of humanity created in the image of God. I am certain this Bill will be helpful in protecting the inalienable rights of children.