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Opponents of corporal punishment state that this kind of punishment brings moral damage to children. Followers of the Sociocultural theory believe that personality is formed through social interaction (Rogoff, 1990). This means that children learn from people who surround them. They adapt behavioural patterns they see in their surrounding. This way physical punishment gives children negative examples of social interactions.
Latest research shows that the roots of violent behaviour may be in the upbringing and in the use of physical punishment. For example, “ In the United States, interpersonal violence is the leading cause of death among young black males and the leading cause of injury among women” (Jones, 1990). Research performed in this field was centred on the upbringing methods used for future criminals. The research proved that upbringing had an extremely important impact on the development of violate behaviour. The research also showed that corporal punishment in many causes became one of the causes or even the main cause of the development of violent, aggressive or anti-social behaviour. “One common concern is that parental use of physical punishment will lead to aggressive behaviour in children” (Straus, 112). Scientists and experts became greatly concerned with the negative impact of physical punishment. This had even legislative impact and “In acknowledgment of the potential harmfulness of physical punishment, the American Psychological Association announced its opposition to its use in schools in 1975’ (Anderson & Anderson, 16).
The relation between physical punishment and aggression and criminal inclinations causes controversy among the researches. Some of them give direct connection between these two factors. They state that physical punishment has direct impact on the aggression level. This means that children who were physically punished in the childhood become more aggressive and oftener turn to anti-social behaviour in their adult life. Another group of scholars defines another type of connection between the corporal punishment and aggressive behaviour. They state that people who were not punished physically in their childhood may have criminal inclinations and higher aggression level because they were not properly educated in the childhood. The third scientific approach stands on the position that any extreme may be harmful. According to this position either too severe physical punishment or lack of punishment may have negative impact on the development of the individual (Kandel, 1992).
Parents and people who educate children should become their example and when they use force to explain their position children apply same behaviour and most probably will use it in the future in their interaction with other people.
Physical punishment gives children bad example of problem solving method. They may see that physical impact is more persuasive than words or reasoning. “Power assertive methods of discipline including physical punishment are less successful long-term in promoting moral internalisation than the use of induction or reasoning” (Grusec & Goodnow, 15).
Physical punishment should not be regarded as an appropriate method of upbringing. Moral aspect of such kind of punishment causes serious doubt and fears. In addition, it can have other negative consequences. Parents may be angry when they punish their children and this way they may bring serious physical damage to their children. When children are small they not always may associate punishment with their wrong behaviour. In this case children may feel abused without even knowing the reasons of this abuse. This may have negative impact on their emotional state. Children who experience physical punishment oftener have emotional problems which often accompany them in their adult life as well. Such children oftener see nightmares, oftener feel scared and frustrated. In more complicated cases physical punishment may become the reason of nervous breakdown, convulsive fits, hallucinations, loss of speech, memory or hearing. In addition, emotional reaction is different for different children. Some children do not perceive physical punishment too serious and others may become emotionally hurt. Physical punishment causes not only physical and emotional damage. It also may result in social problems. Children who experience this kind of punishment may have problems with friends and problems with social interaction. Physical punishment brings great damage to family relations. There are many factors which condition effect of the physical punishment. Negative effects may depend on the kind of abuse, the conditions of abuse and the frequency of abuse.
To sum up the corporal punishment is a complicated theme. From the one side this kind of punishment is a widespread social practice which has been applied through generations. From the other side many researches show that physical punishment hurt children on many levels and have negative consequences on all their further lives. All parents should be aware about the negative impact of physical punishment. Information about true impact of physical punishment should become the necessary components of the parental education. In this way parents will become aware of possible negative consequences of their actions and will have choice whether to use this kind of punishment or not.

Works Cited

Anderson, K., & Anderson, D. “Psychologists and spanking”. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 1976, Fall, 46-49.
Grusec, J. E., & Goodnow, J. J. Impact of parental discipline methods on the child’s internalization of values: A reconceptualization of current points of view. Developmental Psychology, 1994, 30(1), 4-19.
Jones, J. “Violent Statistics”. American Psychological Association Monitor, 1990. October.
Larzelere, R.E. & Kuhn, B.R.Comparing child outcomes of physical punishment and alternative disciplinary tactics: A meta-analysis. Clinical child and family psychology review, 2005, 8 (1).
Kandel, Elizabeth Physical Punishment and The Development of Aggressive and Violent Behavior:A Review, Family Research Laboratory,Durham, 1992.
Rogoff, B. Apprenticeship in thinking: Cognitive development in social context. New York: Oxford University Press, 1990.
Spatz Widom, C. “Does Violence Beget Violence? A Critical Examination of the Literature”. Psychological Bulletin, 1989, 106(1), 3-28.
Straus, M. A., & Stewart, J. H. Corporal punishment by American parents: National data on prevalence, chronicity, severity, and duration, in relation to child and family characteristics. Clinical Child & Family Psychology Review, 1999.