Spanking involves hitting a minor’s buttock with an open hand to cause pain without causing physical injury. Spanking a child leads to physical and emotional abuse in the long-term though it starts as a disciplinary action, children who get spanked at home are also likely to be violent with their peers and develop antisocial behaviors (Corporal punishment study, video#1). I agree that spanking leads to child abuse because; spanking is only a short-term disciplinary action, a children develop resilience to spanking and with time the parent feel the need to hit harder which leads to physical abuse, children who get spanked are also likely to grow up to be child abuser when adult because of the anti-social behavior that the violence imparts into them, spanking a child also torments a child emotionally making them withdrawn and feeling unwanted leading to depression and even mental problems.
Statistics on fatalities from child abuse
In the year 2012, more than 1640 children were reported dead due to child abuse or child abuse related complications. 70% of this number was below two years, and 80% of the statics were not old enough for kindergarten. 80% of the reported cases had at least one parent as the perpetrator and about 4-5 children die everyday due to child abuse (https://www.childhelp.org/child-abuse-statistics/, website# 1). The reason for these high figures is because most parents favor corporal punishment as a disciplinary action. Corporal punishment has long term negative effects on both the victim and the perpetrator, in that it makes them more receptive to violence and cultivates poor anger management strategies in them, this to a society that is generally aggressive.
Societal consequences and cost of child abuse
Child abuse has both direct and indirect costs, in the year 2007 prevent child abuse America estimated the direct costs at 107 billion dollars used in child welfare services, indirect costs include depression services and juvenile justice. The consequence the society faces is delinquent behavior from adolescents the solution to this problem is; home visitation programs nurse or parent based to enable parents understand basic child development and social support services (The cost and consequences of child abuse, Video#2). The state incurs cost in managing child abuse this cost are direct costs like salaries for child welfare employees and other indirect cost such as medical services that victims of child abuse may require, abused children also tend to develop rebellious behaviors making them young offenders leading to increase in demand for juvenile services like approved schools. The society is also forced to deal with ill-mannered adolescents due to child abuse.
Opinion on multimedia
Television and the internet are increasingly becoming an influencing factor in children socialization in the united states, the internet has become such an influence to the youth that 95 % of youths aged 17-19 were online by 2011, 80 % of them were using social media sites to socialize (Schaefer, 2013, pg 88). The youths are increasingly turning to social media as a medium of interaction; this is because it is easily available and enables advanced communication since there is faster exchange of information at very affordable rates that most youths can afford despite their social class in the society.
Television programs and commercials exposes the youth to unfamiliar lifestyles, children from inner-city learn about the life of farmland kids and vice versa, Children also learn about lifestyles in faraway places (Schaefer, 2013, pg 88). Television influences the culture of young people since they get exposure of other lifestyles, and they get to choose a lifestyle that impresses them or suits their life style. It also teaches young people to respect and appreciate the cultural diversity in the world.
Developing countries and Africa also emulate industrial nation to embrace technology. People have socialized into relying on new communication technologies (Schaefer, 2013, pg 88). Leading to improve in the value of life since communication is a vital element of survival. The cost of communicating has been lowered, and there is ease in sharing information.
Multimedia has impacted the world positively, the ease of sharing information in the current world is amazing the whole world has become a global village, and almost every corner is accessible with the new communication technologies.
Legal status of spanking in United States
In united states of America spanking is not prohibited at home but it is prohibited in some schools (http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/11/08/country.comparisons.corporal.punishment/index.html, website #2) spanking should be illegal because; it has long term negative effects like aggressive behavior, antisocial behavior, leads to physical abuse, emotional abuse and intimate partner violence in adulthood. The state also incurs high direct and indirect costs for not preventing spanking.
References
"sociology: a brief introduction 10th edition by: richard t. schaefer"
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/11/08/country.comparisons.corporal.punishment/index.html
https://www.childhelp.org/child-abuse-statistics/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISIc_DbHRzk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItkQgc1khYI
