Violent Behavior among the Youth through Parents Use of Physical Punishment - Essay Example

?Sur Lecturer Parent’s Use of Physical Punishment Increases Violent Behavior among the Youth Introduction In the of growth anddevelopment of people in the society, the youth are prone to err. The manner in which the parents go about the mistakes committed by the youths has become a cause of disagreement in the recent past. This is because sections of parents still believe that the best way of disciplining the youths is through corporal punishment. Research carried out by the American Psychological Association in 2012 revealed that those children who confined to physical punishment by their parents tend to be more violent whereas those whose parents employ other amicable mechanisms of discipline possess extraordinary social skills. The purpose of this proposal argument is to evaluate the reasons as to why the physical punishments are not the best ways of handling the problems. This proposal argument explains that something could be missing in our attempt to come up with an upright generation. In addition, it is the missing element that this article sheds light on. Children whose parents use amicable mechanisms of discipline possess extraordinary social skills. Parents should avoid using physical punishment because it increases violent behavior among the youth (Sumner, 132). This paper seeks to explain why use of physical punishment increases violent behavior among the youth. A Deeper Perspective to the Problem A correct support measures put in place are the sources of successful behavior change. The current generation may be carried away by events and this is proved by the fact that most of them often get into trouble due to their uncalled for behavior. A survey carried out by the body charged with monitoring future generation established that most of the mistakes carried out by the youths are due to their characters. To be specific 97% of the cases reported are due to the behavior. This is clear proof that bad behavior is fast becoming a problem. The big question is whether are we going to watch the youths fall or are we going to be the straw they clutch on. The fact that these perverse actions always soil their reputations in that they put question marks on their records is another reason as to why we should be on the lookout just to help out a brother who is off track (Gershoff, 539). Current Measures Most of the parents have resorted to physical punishment as the corrective method in their attempts to curb bad behavior. Those kinds of parents beat their children; force them to do things that they are not well conversant with and shout at them with the intention of amending and making the youths reformed. They do not know that more often than not, they are wrecking the child based on making things right. Physical punishments have been a major cause of injuries in children some of which have resulted into the physical impairments of the children. What is more worrying is that physical punishments have even led to cases of child deaths. Studies carried out to evaluate the extent at which physical punishments have spread in various regions, found that the habit escalated over time. The actuality that physical punishment is practiced throughout all the regions is clear proof that it is growing into a complication and does not benefit the child in any way. Similarly, it is important to observe that any form of physical punishment however soft it may be may intensify and become worse (Burton, 1447). Physical punishment is unsatisfactory because it increases the extent of aggression among children. It is proven beyond doubt that children, who are exposed to lots of physical punishments, are more likely to be characterized by aggressive behavior towards their coequals. In like manner, the children may employ the brutal mechanisms in working out their problems and at the same time, they can be inconsiderate towards their own parents. What raises the level of concern higher is the fact that this children may end up being violent in future, thereby being insolent and impolite towards their spouses and children respectively. At the tender ages, children look up to their parents for everything. That is why the home is always termed as the second school. When we beat the children, throw objects at them, shout at them or force them to behave in ways they do not approve of, then we are taking the moralistic conscience away from them. By that, we will be instilling in them unfriendly behaviors and they shall become more withdrawn from their equals. In addition, research has found out that physical punishments play a huge role in the advancement of awkward traits like acts of bullying, truancy, crime involvement and lying. Supplementary to that, research has also established that those children subjected to physical punishments tend to get thrilled upon cheating. This is because of the fear of punishment in case the truth becomes known (Boutwell, 561). Physical punishment does not help primarily because in itself, physical punishment causes mental damage to the child. It has been proved that a large number of mental diseases come about due to inappropriate physical punishments. These mental effects have negative repercussions on the overall health of the individuals as their health becomes poor. In addition physical punishments impair proper development of an individual. This is demonstrated by the fact that children who attested to being subjected to physical punishments tend to have low IQ as well as poor emotional activities. It has also been established that the effects of physical punishment are durable. This is because a section of those who are unable to complete college confessed to being subjected to physical punishment at some time (Burton, 1452). Infliction of physical punishments leads to disintegration of families. Research carried out in 2012 by the Future Monitoring Body, revealed that the young children who are prone to physical punishment tend to be withdrawn from their parents. At the same time, the research found out that those who are not enslaved by physical punishment are inclined towards their parents. The certainty that physical punishments ruin child-parent relationships is evidence that it is not worth the fuss. If behavior change would have declined due to physical punishment, I would have given the principle a clean bill. However, the case that physical punishments cause great harm, show that it is times we resorted to an open approach (Gershoff, 546). Potential Solutions When carrying out an activity, the fact that you fail once does not mean that one should fail again. By employing physical punishments, we have failed to control bad behavior. It does not mean that we should watch the youths fall and do nothing. I am a firm believer in trying. That is why I presume that we ought to keep on trying until we emerge victors. To start us off, I think that the parents ought to be good role models to the youths. Throughout the process of development, the children get to learn several issues as they get the feeling of the environment around them. That is where the parents come in because they spend much time with their children. The fact that the children gimmick what is around them shows that the parents have an added advantage over other role models. This is because the children learn to trust the parents who have always provided the basic requirements. Supplementary to that, the children learn various things from their parents like eating healthy and for that reason, the parents should walk the talk. They ought to challenge themselves to carry themselves out the way they demand their children to be (Sumner, 133). There are various ways of containing a bad behavior. Understanding each other is one best way to contain bad behavior. I am convinced by far that respect is a two-way channel that emanates from self-discipline. The children should be made to understand in an amicable way what is it that the parents ant for them. Similarly, the parents should embrace what their children want in life. Boundaries should be clearly set and each party should know which rules apply to them and follow them to the letter. With this we shall be on the right path towards eliminating bad behavior (Gershoff, 552). Bad behavior can be wiped out when the parents, are consistently involved in what goes on in the life of their children. This can be misunderstood to mean that a parent should monitor all the social sites of the child and track all the Childs conversations. Generally, it implies that the parent should be interested in knowing what goes on the life of the child. This is important in that it will enable the parent to identify early signs of bad behavior and correct them. Supplementary to that, this shall enable the parent to teach good values to the child. The overall effect is that the child will grow into an exceptional person admired by many. (Brian Boutwell, et.al 560) Probable Refutes. It is quite normal that some people may find this argument apprehensive and may discredit it because the parent should be the one charged with making decisions for the child. Nevertheless, come to think of it, is punishment really worth it? I am of the opinion that punishing the children do not make angels out of them. Instead, punishment makes them more withdrawn and shall result in them being antisocial. Parents need to be on the driver’s seat, in order to steer the children towards their destinies. Parents should consistently maintain communication with the children and act as the guardian angels. They should understand that punishment is not the key to everything and that keeping the child on the right track and providing love and care to the child immensely contribute towards the good welfare of the child (Sumner, 133). Conclusion In conclusion, bad behavior amongst the youth is no doubt a thorn in the flesh of many. The only undoing is that we have embraced a method that does not help in any way. Research has proved that punishment does not help when it comes to behavior change. No one is perfect. We should expect that one point; an individual shall go astray. I believe that when that time comes, we should not stay put and watch our loved ones fall. We should strive and be their perfect remedy. For a time all, that an individual needs is some show of concern and just somebody to remind them that their cause of action is miscalculated. Physical punishments channeled to the child do not help. They make him become unappreciated and out of this world (Stones 354). We ought to emphasize on the fact that punishment is not the key towards being upright. We ought to stand up and reaffirm the values that we hold dear to our heart. Above all we ought to remember that each individual deserves some little dignity and ought to be treated with lots of respect. In case we fail to act, then we will be witnessing injustice.in that people will not be given the room they need in order bring the best out of themselves. Works Cited American Psychological Association case study on child punishment, 2012 Brian Boutwell, et.al. "Physical Punishment And Childhood Aggression-The Role of Gender And Gene-Environment Intereplay." Academic Search Complete Web, 2011. 559-568. Burton, Banks J. "Childhood Discipline: Challenges For Clinicians and Parents-American Family Physician." Full Text Web, 2002. 1447-1452. Future Monitoring Body, case study on physical punishment, 2012 Gershoff, Elizabeth Thompson. Corporal Punishment By Parents And Associated Child Behaviours: A Meta-Analytic And Theoritica l Review. Physchological Bulletin, 2002. Stones, Edgar. "An Introduction to Educational Pyschology." RLE PUBLISHE RS, 2012. 354. Sumner, Wayne. "Something To Cry About: An Argument Against Corporal Punishment of Children In Canada." Ontario: Literary Reference Centre, 2013. 131-133. Read More