Corporal Punisment of children should be abolished and made illegal

Corporal Punishment of Children Should Be Abolished and Made Illegal
Introduction
Corporal punishment is defined as the intentional act of physically inflicting pain on a person so as to correct them. There are a number of ways to administer corporal punishment on children. These include: punching, shaking, hitting, slapping, pinching, kicking or even the use of various objects to cause pain. This is a practice that has been in place for a number of years in all countries in the world. It is not only practiced in schools as a method of instilling discipline but also in homes. There is a general and old perception that children can only be corrected their mistakes through punishment that causes pain. That means that without corporal punishment, there is a likelihood of having children who no longer abide by the law and commit all types of crimes. However, it should be noted that that era is long gone and outdated. Many countries and states have come out and abolished the use of corporal punishment as a method of instilling discipline to children. Those countries and states that have not abolished corporal punishment should do so because it is important to ban it and illegalize it for the benefit of children and the society at large (Donnelly & Straus, 2005).
Abolishing corporal punishment
It has been noted that there is a worldwide move towards the abolition of corporal punishment of children. This is aimed at abolishing corporal punishment both in schools and homes. Sweden is noted as the first country to take the lead on abolishing corporal punishment in 1979. Majority of governments all over the world are advocating for the abolition of all forms of corporal punishment imposed on children for several reasons. It has been indicated that application of corporal punishment in children has more negative effects than the positive ones. As a result, 33 states have abolished the use of corporal punishment on children in schools and at home. These states include: Portugal, south Sudan, Kenya, Spain, Poland, Tunisia, Albania, Congo republic, Greece, Uruguay, Netherlands, Venezuela, Togo, Costa Rica, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Hungary, Romania, Germany, Bulgaria, Israel, Croatia, Ukraine and others. It should also be noted that many other countries and states are maki8ng the necessary steps towards the abolition of corporal punishment of children (Sky, 2013).
In the United States, there are 19 states that the practice of corporal punishment is legal. The students who study in the schools of these states are subject to corporal punishment of all forms. However, there is an outcry for the abolition of corporal punishment in these schools since research has indicated that the practice does not improve the performance of students but reduces it instead. Studies have also indicated that students subjected to beatings and other forms of corporal punishment often report problems of fear, depression, anger and anxiety. It is stipulated that such problems may lead to the development of negative behaviors such poor academic achievement and interest, negative peer relationships and school drop-out. This indicates that corporal punishment has quite a number of disadvantages and causes harm to children`s well being. In that case, the law societies and human rights activists constantly continue to advocate for the abolition of corporal punishment and its illegalization. These 19 states should make the necessary changes and efforts so as to abolish and illegalize corporal punishment of children (Sky, 2013)
Additionally, corporal punishment often leads to physical abuse of children. A number of cases have been reported where children are badly injured by their parents, guardians or teachers in the name of instilling discipline. A few cases have been reported where a student or a child dies by succumbing to injuries caused during the application of corporal punishment. It can clearly be seen that the use of corporal punishment to institute discipline in a child is an outdated perspective that all teachers and parents should avoid by all means. They should avoid this if they want to make their children develop properly to exploit all their potential. This can be applied in states and countries that still practice corporal punishment of children and have not illegalized it (Sky, 2013)
The benefits of illegalizing corporal punishment are more than the disadvantages. For instance, studies have shown that corporal punishment children who are subject to beatings, spanking and other forms of punishment have higher chances of developing mental physical problems. As parents and teachers beat or apply any form of punishment for their children, they make them develop negative mental traits domestic violence, crime and poor communication skills. This will make children develop to become liabilities and people who have no respect for the law. They have higher chances of becoming thugs and other law offenders in the society. It has been found out that harsh physical punishment often makes the recipients develop mood or anxiety disorder, and many other personality disorders. Alcohol and drug abuse are often the obvious choices made by victims of corporal punishment. It is said by psychiatrics that majority of alcohol and drug abusers are victims of abuse of one form or another during their childhood. Among them is corporal punishment which causes its victims to have mental health problems (Donnelly & Straus, 2005).
In the study conducted by the UN Secretary-General on violence against children in 2006, it is reported that all children have expressed the need to for the governments to intervene and stop violence caused through corporal punishment. Corporal punishment in schools has resulted in the development of fear, anxiety and other negative characteristics in children. It is a form of punishment that hurts children both physically and psychologically. It is indicated that they have suffered violence at the hands of those in authority such as parents, guardians and teachers to the degree that has not been heard of for centuries. It is now that the scale of violence and cause of injury that has been applied to these children is becoming visible through these studies. It should be noted that corporal punishment in not appropriately as intended but it is used as a means to abuse the fragile and defenseless children. Therefore, children have every right to be protected by states and governments through legislations that ban the application of corporal punishment. It is the only avenue through which children can get their rights exercised (Cyc-Online, 2006).
In another study to investigate the degree with which parents and teachers apply corporal punishment, the majority of the subjects interviewed revealed that they used more force than they intended. Two parents out of five admitted to the use of more fore than they ought to. This is an indication that corporal punishment cannot be applied appropriately even in circumstances where it is necessary. Quite often, those who practice the act react emotionally than reasonably. Consequently, they apply more force than necessary. As a result, physical injuries may be caused to the child in question. Such injuries will often make the children become more aggressive or develop complications that will ruin their health. Guardians, parents, teachers and other people who use force as a form of discipline to children ought to be advised against since they cause more harm than good. There are other sophisticated methods that can be used to address the issue of indiscipline. Among them is the use of gifts and rewards to those children or students who are more disciplined than others. This motivates those children or students that are indiscipline to improve themselves and be rewarded in the future (Cyc-Online, 2006).
The majority of adults and people in governments in some of the countries and states that have banned corporal punishment could not agree to it before it was abolished by the law. They thought that corporal punishment was the only way to administer discipline in children. This is because corporal punishment has been the only method used until then. However, when the law on the subject changed, they have come to realize the importance of abolishing it. They have actually changed their thoughts on the same and have supported the banning and illegalization of corporal punishment of children. It then can be said that the value o-f banning corporal punishment may not be felt before it is actually implemented is the society. Therefore, it is advisable for a country or state to ignore critics who enjoy the application of corporal punishment on children and abolish it. The critics will later see the value of banning corporal punishment and be ashamed that they actually enjoyed seeing their children beaten or beat them on their own (KNews, 2012).
In a different stu...