A close look at different parenting styles involving corporal punishment and the short-term as well as long term effects it has on their children both psychologically and physically. Parenting practices that included punitive interactions were associated with elevated rates of all child disruptive behavior problems. Low levels of warm involvement were particularly characteristic of parents of children who showed elevated levels of oppositional behaviors. Physically aggressive parenting was linked more specifically with child aggression. In general, parenting practices contributed more to the prediction of oppositional and aggressive behavior problems than to hyperactive behavior problems, and parenting influences were fairly consistent across ethnic groups and sex.
Most people believe that spanking or hitting a child can lead to many psychological issues especially that of violent behavior. Cultural values and the nature of the family determine whether a child regards spanking as a legitimate expression of authority. It suggests that spanking may be regarded as an act of aggression and become a source of aggression if the parent seems to have abdicated authority or has made little use of affectionate correction, reasoning, and other forms of discipline such as time out (sending the child to a corner) before resorting to physical force (Gunnoe & Mariner, 1998). Some researchers found a closer association between spanking and antisocial behavior. In today’s society many children are living in very stressful and unconventional homes (Hicks-Pass, 2009). Some may live with a single parent while others may live with many family members where the fight for attention and the amount of discipline varies. Often parents find that spanking a child shows them that what they did was wrong and it offers some form of fear and punishment (Hicks-Pass, 2009). Children then will turn around and act out what they have learned at home.
Quality of parental involvement by mothers showed a significant association with delinquency for boys and girls, while corporal punishment by mothers did not have a significant effect for boys but did have a significant effect on girls. Quality of parental involvement by fathers showed an effect on boys but not on girls, but the use of corporal punishment did not show an effect on boys or girls (Hicks-Pass, 2009).
Most of the world's societies bring up children violently through the use of corporal punishment Everyone understands that corporal punishment is carried out to correct or control misbehavior. What is not understood is that almost all assaults by adults and about two thirds of homicides are also carried out to correct what the offender perceives as misbehavior (Straus, 1996). There are many other studies in progress that hope to show a statistical sound link throughout the United States and world wide that corporal punishment does have a connection to the upbringing of a violent society.
I believe that there are many more questions that need to be asked before science and research can make a definitive answer on this debate. There are many dual sided arguments but without further study there can be no conclusive evidence. These are all aspects left to be explored. I for one believe this is important research especially in the unstable times we live in today.
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