Home » Parenting: Negative Effect of Spanking a Child

Parenting: Negative Effect of Spanking a Child

For more than a century, whipping a horse has been a method deployed to make a horse run straighter, faster and safer. Who would have believed that this method of inflicting pain on the horse can make it behave the way expected? Contrary to this practice recent research has shown that whip has made no difference or changes in the horse steering.


Someone might ask what does this have to do with parenting? The case of “spear the rod and spoil the child” has become a mantra most parents used to train their children; these cases are mostly seen in African countries.

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I am of the school of thought that “spanking, hitting beating or shouting” at a child can create more damage to the child than the intended discipline it was meant to instil in the first place. Well, we know it’s your child and you have the willpower to train him/her how you will. I rather set rules for my children and correct them in love than have myself spanking and paddling on every provocation. Do you beat a child who can’t differentiate between his left and right hand? Shouldn’t we call this parental brutality?


Do you observe that most children, go back to commit the same offence they had been punished for? Making a child understand the consequences of his action helps him to learn a lesson, find a way to demonstrate to your child, tell him stories, be practical and watch your child abide.


But ask yourself this, what effect does spanking leave a child with?

Hitting, spanking beating, slapping and shouting at your child inflict emotional and physical injury. What is intended to be disciplined can become abuse and thereafter create long-term negative behaviour. Let’s turn the table around, as an adult/parent when you are shouted at your place of work, how do you feel about it? Okay, what do you think about your boss? With this pattern of training and discipline, I think Africa should be the most coordinated and law-abiding citizen, you already know the rest.

The negative effect of spanking a child; It can affect the way a child sees the world and other children; it might affect a child’s mental health, create low self-esteem, might affect academic performance and such child might become aggressive.

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I know that parenting is one of the most difficult tasks out there, no one can tell a parent how to train a child. I believe too much of everything is bad, we need a positive approach on how to discipline a child, they need to see the good in themselves (stop spotting/dwelling on their mistakes and try to see the good in them as well, build on their strength).


Don’t damage your child before he faces the real world. Words are powerful, use the right words on your children, relate, bond and connect with your child. If you treat your child like a criminal don’t be surprised when he starts behaving like one.

I look forward to seeing your comment below, don’t forget to share this content (effect of spanking a child) with someone on your social media handles. Thank you for reading.

David

13 thoughts on “Parenting: Negative Effect of Spanking a Child

  1. I have taken my time to read through it over and over again and I must say that this is an Awesome write-up full of insight…my take “I rather set rules for my children and correct them in love”.

  2. It a great teaching and eye opener to parent,most children gets hardened because they’re used to too much beating like a drum set.
    Correct children with heart to heart communication is more effective than hard beating.thanks prof for the teaching

  3. Thanks so much for this piece, I often believe in cane and sugarcane principles before, I’ve really worked on it.. I don’t scold any child anymore. Thanks

  4. Spanking, if done cautiously and sparingly, isn’t brutality. However, it should not be the first point of call for parents or instructor in correcting or penalizing their ward.

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