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CORPORAL PUNISHMENT EXPOSED 1

Corporal Punishment Exposed: Research’s Quest for Improvement

Caroline RenDuke University

Duke Community Standard1. I will not lie, cheat, or steal in my academic endeavors, nor will I

accept the actions of those who do.

2. I will conduct myself responsibly and honorably in all my activities as

a Duke student.

I have adhered to the Duke Community Standard in completing this

assignment.

________________________________




development of the inflicted and considerably linked with negative behavior in adulthood. Such

form of discipline is doubtlessly risky and potentially harmful in later years. The term “risky”

references the subjective nature of physical punishment and the multiple different responses

children may exhibit. For instance, Gershoff indicated several different adolescent behaviors and

experiences associated with childhood corporal punishment such as aggression, antisocialism,

propensity toward future abusive relationships, low self-esteem, and diminished quality of

relationship with parents. The issue of increased aggression has been highlighted in myriad

studies and seems to be the most imperatively addressed outcome among developmental

psychologists. In “Corporal Punishment in Adolescence and Physical Assaults on Spouses in

Later Life”, Straus and Yodanis assess what possibly accounts for this relation, focusing on the

cyclic mechanism of childhood experiences with corporal punishment and later marital issues

with violence as well as depression in adulthood. Straus and Yodanis reference Bandura’s

“Social Learning Theory”, suggesting that children learn to use violence for resolving conflict by

observing and modeling the actions of their parents, stunting the development and lowering the

quality of their conflict-resolution skills in the future (Straus & Yodanis, 1996). Fundamentally,

husband and wives who have been hit as adolescents for misbehaving are more inclined and

likely to hit a spouse for misbehavior in adulthood (Straus & Yodanis, 1996).

On the other hand, Diana Baumrind, Philip Cowan, and Robert Larzelere argue in

“Ordinary Physical Punishment: Is It Harmful?” that when administered correctly, corporal

punishment can be useful for behavior modification, creating claims on the definitive and

statistical inconsistencies as well as lacking evidence in Gershoff’s meta-analysis. However,

while Baumrind, Cowan, and Larzelere fixate on the fallible validity of Gershoff’s primary

studies, meta-analyses, and synthesis, they fail to effectively convey any benefits of corporal




punishment in addition to the convenience of immediate compliance. The report’s focus on

behavioral compliance as a positive outcome is an ill-conceived notion, disregarding the variety

of undesirable reactions from adolescents, dependent on a multitude of factors subjective to their

specific upbringing, environment, and personal internalization (Baumrind, Cowan, & Larzelere,

2002). One child may harbor an immense amount of vendetta, exhibiting extreme aggression and

deteriorating the parent-child child relationship while another healthily demonstrates moral

internalization of the matter. Regardless, “promoting the development of children’s internal

controls is more important to long-term socialization than immediate compliance” (Gershoff,

2002, Pg. 541). Gershoff additionally reports from Kuczynski & Hildebrandt that children’s

internalization of morals is considered to be enhanced by parental discipline strategies that use

minimal parental authority, encourage choice and independence, and provide explanations for

the necessity of proper behavior (Gershoff, 2002).

Provided that Straus’s definition of corporal punishment is established and undisputed,

the frequent concern that “non-abusive corporal punishment is often confounded with harmful

and abusive behaviors” is valid on a number of platforms (Gershoff 107). Regardless the degree

of physical impact or resulting pain, the frequency of parents hitting their children in anger must

be acknowledged. This factor of “anger” or conspicuous aggression toward the child alone

increases the severity of the penalty, feeding the gray area between corporal punishment and

domestic abuse. The fear that spanking instills within the child can eventually buttress the

adolescent’s natural inclination toward rebellion, providing another medium through which

children can internally justify their defiance or destructive behavior. In the same vein, because

corporal punishment does not teach children the fundamental reasons for behaving properly,

parents will forever run the risk of corporal punishment failing to facilitate moral internalization.




It does not involve communicating the effects of children’s behav iors on their peers, and may

teach children the mere desirability of not getting caught, a danger in itself (Gershoff, 2002).

Also, the Social Control Theory suggests that corporal punishment gradually erodes the parent-

child relationship, decreasing children’s motivation to internalize parental or societal values,

resulting in low self-control (Gershoff, 2002). The goal of discipline should not be to instill a

deep fear and anxiety in children, either. The painful nature of corporal punishment can evoke

fear and cause the child to avoid the parent and become hostile to others (Gershoff, 2002).

The prevalence of corporal punishment, particularly in America, calls for a system of

improvement for discipline methodology, particularly with young and impressionable

adolescents. Gershoff mentions the happening of “co-curring discipline”, reporting that parents

who administer corporal punishment frequently also tend to be verbally abusive toward their

children, the combination likely magnifying associations between corporal punishment and

“child aggression, delinquency, and interpersonal problems” (Gershoff, 2002, 553). In

“Accumulating Evidence for Parent-Child Interaction Therapy in the Prevention of Child

Maltreatment”, Rae Thomas and Melanie Zimmer -Gembeck reinforce the seriousness of

crossing the line between corporal punishment and abuse, whether it be physical, verbal, or “co-

curring” through evaluating the effectiveness of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)

(Thomas & Zimmer-Gembeck, 2011). PCIT is one of the few parent-interventions known to

successfully abate child maltreatment, aiming to emphasize the principles of secure attachment

to reduce child abuse potential and enhance the emotional bond between a parent and child

(Thomas & Zimmer-Gembeck, 2011). Although the randomized control trial was done over a

mere twelve week period, which is generally presumptuous when drawing conclusions, the




Personal Reflection:

Overall, I probably learned the most during Section this year with Lea and the class. It

was extremely beneficial hearing the different perspectives of the people in the class. I feel as

though I gained a level of insight that I did not possess before through discussing these debates

in detail. Our section was also lucky to have a few international students who provided a cross-

cultural spin on numerous different topics, exhibiting the importance of considering the

subjective nature of many conjectures. I definitely learned a lot about the birthing process as

well. I had never learned the chronological or surgical logistics of pregnancy, child delivery, and

how psychology is able to tie into so much of it. Researching for my final paper on corporate

punishment reaffirmed a lot about my stance on the argument (non-advocate), but also showed

me the incredibly complexity and work associated with conducting a study. I definitely have a

heightened appreciation for this subject, and I thank the instructors for being so accommodating,

charismatic, and available.




References

Baumrind, D., Cowan, P., & Larzelere, R. (2002). Ordinary Physical Punishment: Is it Harmful?

Comment on Gershoff. Psychological Bulletin, 128(4), 580-589.

Gershoff, E. (2002). Corporal Punishment by Parents and Associated Child Behaviors and

Experiences: A Meta-Analytic and Theoretical Review. Psychological Bulletin, 128(4),

539-579.

Straus, M., & Yodanis, C. (1996). Corporal Punishment in Adolescence and Physical Assaults on

Spouses in Later Life: What Accounts for the Link?. Journal of Marriage and Family,

58(4), 825-841.

Thomas, R., & Zimmer-Gembeck, M. (2011). Accumulating Evidence for Parent-Child

Interaction Therapy in the Prevention of Child Maltreatment. Child Development , 82,

177-192.

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