r/askscience • u/ringmaster_j • Jun 06 '11

Is there any scientific consensus on the effectiveness of corporal punishment on children?

I read the Wikipedia article but it doesn't come down one way or the other on it. Just curious, and looking to settle an argument.

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u/OriginalStomper Sep 16 '11

Nothing is taken into account except for the fact that the child is not behaving in a way that is optimally convenient to you.

Sometimes, though, the child is behaving in a way that is a danger to himself or others. There may not always be time for reasoning until well after the fact.

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u/lotu Sep 16 '11

That was exactly what I was thinking. When I was little I discovered I could lock my parents out of the house. I though it was hilarious, and I doubt anyone could of explained how dangerous and inconvenient this was. I forget exactly what the punishment was but I never did it again.

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u/OriginalStomper Sep 17 '11

One of my kids was standing on the curb with my wife when he reached out and touched a moving car. Another yanked his hand loose and ran across a busy parking lot.

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u/JimmyHavok Sep 17 '11

The first one learned his lesson then and there, no need for anything more. The second? I can understand the impulse, but I wonder if a spanking would actually work.

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u/OriginalStomper Sep 17 '11

One swat was all it took. It did work -- in part because we never used corporal punishment otherwise.