The Benefits of Removing Corporal Punishment from the Home

Hitting Kids Is Toxic

The debate regarding corporal punishment, “physical discipline”, has been a hot topic in both parenting and educational circles for decades. Since I burst on the scene with Anthony Migliorino, via his Peaceful Fathers brand, our Peaceful Parenting Message, and the #DadsDay discussion we’d run, the crowd has been split, with a slight leaning towards an agreement that hitting children is wrong.

I don’t want you thinking too positively about this, as the loudest responses have come from those saying, “You’re spoiling the child by sparing the rod” which leads me to think religion really does have a hyper-focus on control. Nobody said “the rod” is meant to beat the flock, but rather it could be a peaceful guide or nudge in this direction.

I’m not taking the religious discussion on in this piece; that’ll be reserved for another article; today, I’m focusing on the benefits you can expect to experience when you remove violence from your home.

Life Is Better Without Physical Punishment

Using physical punishment to discipline children has been associated with long-term negative outcomes such as aggression, antisocial behavior, depression, anxiety, and low academic achievement.

Keeping the above in mind, how can a society that focuses on “Social Justice” for under-represented communities and disenfranchised populations not look to cease the abuse children are suffering at the hands of those meant to keep them safe?

Photo by Artyom Kabajev on Unsplash

The problem is that our society does not view children as deserving of adult levels of respect, protection, or that there’s anything wrong with the use of corporal punishment when dealing with children. The very concept of corporal punishment has been ingrained in many cultures and societies worldwide as an acceptable means of instilling discipline and obedience among children. However, there are numerous benefits to removing corporal punishment from home and replacing it with positive reinforcement, problem-solving strategies, and effective communication with children. Nothing I share is based on theory, as I live this every day, as does my wife; we’re both peaceful parents, our children have never been hit with any item, they’ve never had their pants pulled down, never slapped across their face, and they have never suffered verbal abuse.

To anyone who’d think, “Your children are probably disrespectful and wild” I’d have to ask, why do you think so poorly of children?

Would you be a wild and disrespectful person if you were not threatened by violence, or would you use manners and be a squared-away human being because that’s the right thing to do, and people respond better when you’re kind?

5 Benefits to Peaceful Parenting?

First and foremost, removing corporal punishment from home reduces the risk of physical and emotional harm to children. Physical punishment can easily escalate to abuse, and children who are regularly subjected to violence may develop a distorted understanding of the concept of violence (and love), accepting it as a normal part of everyday life.

You force your child to accept, people who love you are allowed to hurt you.

Furthermore, physical punishment may lead to lower self-esteem, anxiety, and depression in children and exacerbate pre-existing mental health problems. On the other hand, we have peaceful parenting, where positive reinforcement techniques, such as praising good behavior, recognizing effort, and acknowledging progress, promote a sense of self-worth and individuality in children. You learn to address issues in a way you would with a peer; and are children not future adults? How can we ever expect our children to think and act like developed adults when they are under extreme duress and constant control during their most formative years?