**TL;DR: Corporal punishment teaches children that violence is an acceptable way to solve disputes** • Corporal punishment has historically been used to punish children for ‘bad’ or impolite behaviour. Those in favour of corporal punishment reason that by hurting a child for being disobedient, the child will in future want to avoid this pain and cease misbehaving. • The psychologist [Elizabeth Thompson Gershoff](https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2002/06/spanking) describes the limitations of corporal punishment: “There is general consensus that corporal punishment is effective in getting children to comply immediately while at the same time there is caution from child abuse researchers that corporal punishment by its nature can escalate into physical maltreatment”. • Many argue that corporal punishment is a form of abuse, and therefore unethical. This would make it an unfitting way to teach children ethics – the very purpose of punishment - as it legitimises violence against others. Physical punishment can culminate in serious physical injuries, and studies have shown that it can cause [mental health problems](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3447048/), feelings of fear and resentment towards parents, and a hindrance to cognitive development. • Corporal punishment sets a bad example for children, who are routinely taught that it is wrong to hurt others. One study found that children of parents who used physical punishment were [more likely to react with violence](https://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/04/spanking#:~:text=Many%20studies%20have%20shown%20that,mental%20health%20problems%20for%20children.&text=%E2%80%9CThere%20is%20no%20need%20for%20corporal%20punishment%20based%20on%20the%20research.) and aggression during disputes with other children. Many believe that children who are corporally punished grow up to be more aggressive adults.

**Corporal punishment is completely wrong and does not work.** • I’m against corporal punishment; it’s _immoral, ineffective and makes no sense_. How can anyone think punishing bad behaviour with more bad behaviour is going to make anything better? • Defined as [“the physical punishment of people, especially of children, by hitting them”](https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/corporal-punishment), corporal punishment covers a lot of violent actions - from spanking or washing mouths out with soap, many parents still use extreme, physical punishments to discipline their children and it’s really not ok. • Not only do I not think it works, but I think it demonstrates an inability to parent properly. If the only way you can teach your child how to behave is by hitting them, then you probably shouldn’t have children. You wouldn’t slap someone in the street if you didn’t agree with something they did, so why on earth is it acceptable to inflict that upon a defenceless child? It makes no sense. • It has also been found that corporal punishment can have [detrimental repercussions](https://www.verywellfamily.com/facts-about-corporal-punishment-1094806) on children. From behavioural problems to mental illness, it’s no surprise that violence has consequences. • I find it particularly interesting, that in [a study by Murray Straus at the University of New Hampshire]( https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/11/131122103621.htm), it was found that college students are more likely to break the law, if they were spanked as children. This proves a direct correlation between experiencing violence as a child and going on to be a violent adult. But how can we be surprised? Hitting children or punishing them by physical means, teaches them that it’s ok to do so - but it’s not.