[Client’s name]
‘Parental discipline’ and ‘child abuse,' what comes to mind when considering these two terms? Let us establish a definition. Parental disciplines are the techniques that every parent employs in order to make sure that their ward establishes proper boundaries. It may involve emotional punishments like scolding and expressing disappointment, and physical reprimands like spanking, slapping, shoving, and the list goes on. So what then is child abuse? As most reasonable people would consider, child abuse is a form of punishment that is pushed too far, such that it causes distress to the child. Where giving discipline could make a child’s future more promising, abusing a child could have short-term physical effects, and long-term psychological effects that could manifest in the later part of the child’s life. In the wise words of Alice Miller, the children who experience beatings in their childhood are prone to give beatings in the future and those that are intimidated, have a higher chance of intimidating. Similarly, according to Alice Miller, being humiliated leads to causing humiliation and the children whose souls are murdered, tend to become future murderers
This paper has been written for the purpose to comparing the effects of parental discipline to the consequences of abusive behavior. Sarah Smenyak expresses her opinion in her article ‘The difference between discipline and child abuse’ regarding whether or not parents should take steps to discipline their children. According to Smenyak, it is important for children to learn rules, morals and values. They should establish a boundary between what is and is not right, so that they could help create an orderly and safe world, and can grow up healthy. Since parents are the only figures who could provide the above qualities in their child, they should take steps to establish discipline. She progresses by debating the effectiveness of physical means of establishing order. Smenyak points out how spanking could plant a seed for violent behavior during the later part of the child’s life . The opinion that Smenyak expresses in her article is quite realistic. Discipline in children is a very indispensable character trait, and steps should be taken to ensure it. They should be taught that their actions always have consequences, and dictating punishment could fulfill that requirement. It is however also imperative to exemplify how far parents should go while imposing punishment. In cases where parents lash out on the child with elevated frequency, the children invariably fail to identify the reasons for their displeasure. The ward’s mental and emotional states should be shielded from uncalled violence and calculated steps should be taken to enforce punishment.
In conclusion, as critical as it is to enforce punishment to control children’s behavior, physical or psychological abuse is inexcusable. Therefore, it is fundamental to lay down in the law and the society what works amount to child abuse, and establish consequence of the violation. Acts like spanking and use of physical power should be eliminated. Because it is generally observed that acts of milder violence like grounding could have more immediate and practical impacts on the child’s regulation. And they could save the adolescent from the scars of living through an abusive childhood. Child abuse is not the answer. Where on one hand, the child could suffer the adverse effects of every rampage; there could be uncountable legal consequences of child abuse.
References
Miller, A. (n.d.). Retrieved from Brainy quote: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/alicemille393189.html
Smenyak, S. (2013, October 24). The Difference Between Discipline and Child Abuse. Retrieved from LIVESTRONG: http://www.livestrong.com/article/69111-difference-between-discipline-child/
