A Little Slap to Discipline
“Sir,
Mam, we are pleased if you are happy to rectify our behavior. However, we would
not feel it if you are glad to hurt us. It just makes our behavior getting worse,
especially if you use ruler to slap us.” The opponent of corporal punishment may expect
that there are students who dare to tell their teachers those sentences.
Therefore, perhaps teachers will realize that using physical punishment only
makes them naughtier. On the other hand, there are also some people who believe
that corporal punishment is necessary. It is because chaos will ensue if there
is not any punishment for them who disobey rules. Actually, corporal punishment
has either bad or good side.
The
opponents of corporal punishment argue that if parents or teachers use corporal
punishment in educating children, they will learn that violence is acceptable way
to solve their problem or get someone doing what they want. For example, a
father slaps his son because he is caught while smoking. That father expects to get what he wants that
is his son stops smoking, by slapping him. The son realizes it. Then, when that
child wants something, for example his friend’s meals, he will ask it rudely
and hit his friend. It is like a proverb says “monkey see monkey do”. An American
sociologist, Albert Bandura, in his book Social Learning Theory (1977) stated
that most human behavior is learned by imitating others or called modeling.
Thus, it is parents and teachers responsibility to ensure that they only give
good example.
They also consider
children’s physical and mental health. Spanking or slapping children cause them
suffer from pain not only physically but also mentally. Imagine how it feels
when you get hard spank! It is undoubtedly not joyful feeling. Child who is
slapped will feel that his heart beats so fast. That is because his body releases
Adrenalin. This is called Traumatic event. Due to a lot of Adrenaline in blood,
Cortisol is released to shut off biological responses to Traumatic event. Too
much Cortisol will endanger human body. Dr. Megan Gunnar, a professor of Child
Development at the University of Minnesota, in her report in 2007 stated that
high level Cortisol cause cells death and fewer connections between remaining
cells. Mental injuries that are caused by slapping or spanking are losing
self-esteem, depression, shyness, insecurity, feeling of being unloved, stress
and anxiety. Parents and teachers are people who are supposed to protect
children, but they abuse them. That is why children will feel insecure, stress
and fear.
On the other hand, they
who agree to use corporal punishment argue that parents and teachers need an
effective way to discipline children.
When they do not understand logic and reason, parents and teachers cannot
only warn them. They need stricter way that is corporal punishment. As the
result, they will understand that they are wrong. Then, they will not do it
again. Besides, if there is not anything that makes them fear in doing fault,
such slap or spank, they will not be afraid to disobey the rule. In The Family
Research Council (FRC) in Family Policy magazine, Den A. Trumbull, a
pediatrician, stated that based on FRC poll in 1996, four out of five
Americans, from 1000 respondent, who had been spanked by parent said that it is
an effective way to discipline.
The next reason is that
spanking and slapping children after they disobey rules save parents and
teachers time. For example, a boy play ball in the house while his mother is
cleaning up the mess. As stated before, sometimes children do not want to hear
reason and warning. If she gives her son a long speech, she will waste her time.
When she stops and continues her work, he will play again. The result will be
different if she gives a little slap on his leg. Her son will stop playing or
go outside and play there.
In
conclusion, corporal punishment has both positive and negative side. People who
only see the bad side will strongly recommend abolishing it. On the other hand,
they who believe corporal punishment can be used to discipline their children
will not agree with that idea. Actually, parents and teachers can use that kind
of punishment if they have warned children many times, and they still do not
listen. A little and rarely slap that will not cause great pain is acceptable.
So, parents and teachers should be careful when give punishment. They should
not hurt children.
