Physical punishment—and its alternatives
Compiled by Voices for Children from the Joint Statement on Physical Punishment of Children and Youth 2003

Parenting behaviour has a critical influence on child outcomes and parents need to think carefully about the method of discipline they choose. Parents and caregivers must be supported to recognize their long-term role in guiding the behaviour of their children and in learning the facts about physical punishment. Extensive research now confirms that physical punishment is ineffective, and may harm children's well-being..   In this report, designed for easy use by parents, caregivers and practitioners, Voices for Children summarizes the short and long-term negative effects of physical punishment and provides alternative strategies for guiding children's behaviour from the Joint Statement on Physical Punishment of Children & Youth.

Short and Long-Term Effects

PHYSICAL PUNISHMENT IS ASSOCIATED WITH NUMEROUS NEGATIVE DEVELOPMENTAL OUTCOMES:

Risk of physical injury

• Most cases of child physical abuse occur during episodes of physical punishment
• Although caregivers may be attempting to protect children from danger when they punish them physically, they are actually increasing the likelihood that they themselves will harm the children

Compromised mental health

• Physical punishment is associated with depression, unhappiness, anxiety and feelings of hopelessness in children and youth

Cognitive and behavioural problems

• Physical punishment is linked to an increased likelihood of delinquent behaviour, and impared social relationships

Agressive behaviour

• Children who receive physical punishment have an increased tendency to act out, bully, lie, attack their siblings, hit their parents, retaliate aggressively against peers, and not show remorse.
• While many parents believe that using physical punishment will keep their children out of trouble, delinquency and antisocial behaviour have been found to increase over the long term in children who are physically punished .

Impaired reasoning and problem-solving skills

• Physical punishment may focus the child's attention on the consequences of his behaviour for himself, rather than on how the child's behaviour affects others.

Compromised pro-social values

• Children who receive physical punishment are less likely to internalize moral values, including resistance to temptation, altruistic behaviour, empathy and moral judgment, than children who are not physically punished.

Impaired parent-child relationships

• Even at two years of age, children who are physically punished are more likely to distance themselves from their parents than those who are not physically punished.

Poorer adult adjustment

• Physical punishment in childhood has been linked to the development of adult aggression, criminal and anti-social behaviour, and the abuse of one's own child or spouse.
• Physical punishment in childhood has also been linked to poorer adult mental health, depression, anxiety disorders, dependence, and alcoholism.

Skewed ideas and definitions of violence

• Physical punishment in childhood has been linked to a greater tolerance of violence in adulthood.
• Children who have experienced common forms of abuse (like shaking or hitting with a belt) and more severe forms of abuse (like burning or tying up) are more likely to grow into adults who tolerate and condone these practices. Even extreme physical abuse like punching or choking is seen as "normal" by such adults.
• Adult personal definitions of "normal" discipline are then carried into parenting practice, where they will influence the likelihood of the cycle of maltreatment continuing.

Alternative Strategies

WHAT CAN PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS DO INSTEAD?

Because physical punishment is ineffective in teaching socially appropriate behaviour and potentially may cause physical and emotional harm, parents and caregivers are strongly encouraged to develop alternative, positive approaches to discipline. In this regard, "discipline" needs to be understood by its original meaning-to teach.

Parents and caregivers need to understand their long term role in teaching and facilitating the development of their children's well-being.   Guiding children's behaviour to help them develop skills to manage their own feelings and behaviour is the ultimate parenting responsibility. 

Parenting style provides a powerful model for children

* The choices that parents make in disciplinary situations provide powerful models to children and affect their selection of either aggression or self-control; retaliation or problem solving; intimidation or communication; bullying or empathy .

Provide children with a repertoire of problem-solving skills

* An important goal of parenting is to provide children with a repertoire of problem-solving skills and the competence and confidence to use them throughout their lives.
* These choices provide children with a set of enabling or disabling responses for contending with everyday challenges in child-care settings, schools, neighbourhoods and in sports.

Parents need tools to carry out their critical role

* improve their own problem-solving skills
* understand the child's point of view
* learn more about normal developmental stages
* learn effective ways of communicating with children
* model and reinforce positive behaviours
* develop skills to prevent parent-child conflict
* recognize anger triggers and form strategies for managing them
* reduce personal and family stress.

Strategies for guiding behaviour of young children

* restructuring the environment so that the child can explore safely
* distracting the child from dangerous objects
* modeling appropriate behaviour
* explaining and teaching
* supervising the child
* reinforcing desired behaviour
* preparing the child for transitions
* planning for challenging situations
* establishing expectations and limits ahead of time

Strategies for guiding behaviour of older children and youth

* communicating expectations clearly
* acknowledging positive behaviour
* respecting the child's growing need for independence
* modeling negotiation and problem-solving
* explaining the reasons for rules and limits
* listening to the child's perspective

Conclusion

The compelling research reminds us all that parenting is about much more than applying immediate consequences to manage or extinguish behaviours.   Physical punishment was once popularly believed to aid in controlling children's behaviour; now it is clearly recognized to be ineffective at best and potentially harmful. Parents and caregivers need to be supported to acquire the required information and tools to aid them in carrying out their critical roles.
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References

All of the extensive research supporting the information in this report is contained in the Joint Statement on Physical Punishment of Children and Youth available from the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario at this link: http://www.cheo.on.ca./english/1100.html