Why schools should not use corporal punishment
John Parsons
Updated on April 15, 2026
Many studies have shown that physical punishment — including spanking, hitting and other means of causing pain — can lead to increased aggression, antisocial behavior, physical injury and mental health problems for children.
Should corporal punishment not be allowed in schools?
Corporal punishment should be banned because it does not do any good to students rather it affects them negatively by instilling fear, hatred and low self-esteem. It also affects them psychologically and in the development of their personality.
What are the disadvantages of corporal punishment?
Corporal punishment instills fear to the children, for them not to commit their mistakes again. But then, scholars argue that the power of physical punishment does not really instill discipline but provokes resentment and further misbehavior.
Why should corporal punishment be abolished in schools?
Corporal punishment has been used in schools as a way of handling disciplinary problems. It refers to school rules which allow students to be punished using physical pain without causing injury. Thus, teachers can focus on teaching the students. …Is corporal punishment beneficial?
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,” Gershoff writes.
What are the effects of corporal punishment on student learning?
Corporal punishment was found as an obstacle for the development of a healthy teacher-student relationship: it affects student character, increases dropout rate, hinder the learning environment, create frustration for teachers, decrease interest in research and encourage students to do so.
Is corporal punishment unethical or immoral?
But the evidence is mounting that harsh discipline is actually detrimental to children and damaging to society. Nations around the world now recognize that corporal punishment violates the rights of the child, offends children’s dignity and harms their development.
Is corporal punishment ethical?
Is corporal punishment by governments ethical? Government: Torture and hurting people for punishment is not acceptable under international human rights agreemens because it is not considered morally acceptable. Schools: In many countries/states corporal punishment in schools is illegal for much the same reasons.What is the major disadvantage of punishment in education?
The disadvantages: 1. The students become scare by their teachers and they do not ask their problems related to studies, which can drop their academic performance. 2. The punishment can bring negative effect of inferiority and insult.
Is a corporal punishment cruel and unusual?Corporal punishment has been permitted under US common law for centuries. In 1977 the Supreme Court ruled that routine corporal punishment is not considered cruel and unusual punishment, and does not per se violate procedural due process.
Article first time published onIs spanking unethical?
We have determined that spanking is not ethical or ok for our child and family. Children are people with rights of their own, and they should be treated with respect. Spanking, or corporal punishment, is the intentional use of physical pain to control a child’s behavior.
Do you agree with the thought that corporal punishment is ineffective means of disciplining?
Corporal punishment is not even an effective means of child discipline. Although the punishment “works” by immediately stopping a misbehavior or evoking a strong emotional response from a child (i.e., crying), it doesn’t promote good behavior.
Why is punishment not effective?
* Punishment makes the child feel bad about themselves not what they did. … It doesn’t help the child learn to express their emotions, it squashes their needs and sends the message that their feelings aren’t important. * Punishment, even time outs and taking away privileges, damages our relationship with our child.
What are the advantages of corporal punishment in schools?
Corporal punishment sets clear boundaries and motivates children to behave in school. Children are better able to make decisions about their behavior, exercise self-control, and be accountable for their actions when they understand the…
What are the positive and negative effects of punishment as a method of teaching?
The positive outcomes of using punishment include: The child is informed that their behavior is not acceptable, and now knows what not to do in the future. The child is given a punishment or negative consequence, which teaches her that behavior has consequences and will hopefully help her associate the two.
Is punishment good for students?
If punishment are at low level then It will help to built discipline in student, it will built time management ability in student. Students won’t repeate mistakes because of punishments. Punishment will give small stress which is necessary in order to complete any work.
Is corporal punishment ever an appropriate response to student misbehavior?
Despite the fact that, punishment seems to be an appropriate technique to control behavior and student disciplines, the UN Convention on the Right of the Child recognized that, corporal punishment employed by teachers and parents in schools and homes seems to be ineffective, dangerous and unacceptable method of …
What effects does corporal punishment have?
Physical punishment is associated with increased child aggression, antisocial behaviour, lower intellectual achievement, poorer quality of parent–child relationships, mental health problems (such as depression), and diminished moral internalisation.
Does corporal punishment improve behavior?
Rather than improving behavior, physical punishment such as spanking can actually increase misbehavior over time. This misbehavior can include things like aggression, intentional harm to someone, defiant behavior, and anti-social behavior such as destruction of property, lying, and stealing.
Why punishment is bad for kids?
Research shows that spanking, slapping and other forms of physical punishment don’t work well to correct a child’s behavior. The same holds true for yelling at or shaming a child. Beyond being ineffective, harsh physical and verbal punishments can also damage a child’s long-term physical and mental health.
Why is negative punishment bad?
Another major problem with negative punishment is that while it might reduce the unwanted behavior, it does not provide any information or instruction on more appropriate reactions. B.F. Skinner also noted that once the punishment is withdrawn, the behavior is very likely to return.
What are the problems with punishment?
Meta-analyses of hundreds of studies document that physical punishment is associated with: verbal and physical aggression; delinquent, antisocial, and criminal behavior; poorer quality of parent-child relationships; impaired mental health; and later abuse of one’s own spouse and children.