One Man's Opinion: #2 Corporal Punishment, I Say Thee Yay!
Bryan Anthony Tann
May 16, 2009
Greetings and salutations everyone!
And thank you for being here for the second edition of ´One Man´s Opinion´.
Now, I had this real silly long ended ´hello´ thought out and as I started to put it down to type, I realized just how incredibly stupid and cheesy it sounded. I tried so many different ways to adjust it, and it still just came off as totally dumb. So thankfully, there will be none of that from me…at least in this blog. But seriously, I want to thank everyone that read my last blog entitled "The Introduction" where I spoke on my feelings regarding the "dreaded" Swine Flu, or whatever they´re calling it now.
Today, I´ve decided to write about corporal punishment. I spent my ´Sunday´-which was actually Monday- with my wife and son, relaxing, watching TV and playing video games (Resident Evil 5 is a great game, just thought I´d throw that out there). I then decided before watching Gilmore Girls with my wife, that I would check my email. And on MSN.com they had a Newsweek article entitled ´Did Corporal Punishment Save A Struggling School?´ A link to the article will be provided at the end of the blog.
The article tells the story of South Carolina elementary school John C. Calhoun principal David Nixon. Nixon, who took over principal duties in 2006, claims that spanking the children is "the worse part" of his job, and "If I could burn that paddle in my stove, I would." That in my opinion is the most profound thing in the entire piece, and I will explain why shortly.
Its been stated by a student that there is a ´three strikes and you´re spanked´ rule, which goes to show that paddling is truly the last resort when there are no other options left, and only with parental consent, which Nixon got according to the article, a half hour into his first day on the job when a parent flat out gave him permission to "whip my son´s butt."
Now, a lot of people seem to have a problem with corporal punishment. It is looked at as barbaric and abusive towards children and a practice that we should totally shut the door on forever. Well, unfortunately for those people I flat out 100% DISAGREE.
I attended Catholic school from first grade until my sophomore year of high school (albeit at two different schools). Before I started Catholic school in the first grade, I went to a public school in Kindergarten. The main reason why I was sent to Catholic school was for the discipline that was provided in the curriculum.
I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was three years old, which meant that my Mother definitely had to spank me a few times to keep me under control. And while I wasn´t a "bad" child, I definitely would push my boundaries like crazy, every chance I possibly got. And when I was in Kindergarten, I became a "bad" child. I looked up girls´ dresses, fought everyone I could see, and was a general disruption. I´m surprised they let me out of Kindergarten to be quite honest.
However, my wanting to fight everyone, and trying to act out all the time definitely changed the day I walked into St. Agnes in Pittsburgh. Sister Elizabeth Ann wasn´t playing around and she showed me as such when I would act a fool. When I got paddled, I deserved it, and when I got home my Mother got her shots in too, and I deserved every single one.
Now, just because I was spanked does not mean that I was abused. Far from it honestly, as my Mother will be the first one to admit that she did not spank me every single time that I deserved it, but when the time came she did not shy away. Neither did Sister Elizabeth Ann.
I needed structure, I needed boundaries, and most of all, I needed to learn that my actions had consequences and they weren´t always going to be easy to deal with. In my own opinion, that is a lesson that too many children do not learn, so they grow into over privileged young adults with feelings of entitlement despite how they behave.
Now granted, I am generalizing with my previous statement, and even with the statement I am about to make. But before you get angry, think about what I´m saying. Now, I am sure that if you look hard enough to see my opinion on this, you can say ´Bryan I don´t agree with you, but I can see your point.´ and in so many ways, I understand why people do not agree with corporal punishment.
So many believe that it is negative reinforcement that only breeds fear, and that it has no real use in society. It is also believed that it is abuse no matter how you look at it, and that form of abuse cannot be conducive (yes I used a big word) to a child´s behavioral development.
Now for the final point, I 100% disagree. Using myself as a prime example, getting a spanking was definitely good for making me a model citizen. Granted I had to be punished in other ways also, but being spanked helped me to learn early lessons in having to be held accountable for my own actions. Being spanked taught me to stop peeing on the floor when the toilet wasn´t too far away up the stairs. Being spanked also taught me to stop fighting in school all the time, stop swearing at adults, and to show the proper respect when I was told to do something. As I got older, spanking was slowly phased out and having privileges taken away was the prime method of discipline.
Spanking should always be a deterrent, not a weapon. And a child should never be spanked while in anger. Spanking in anger is what leads to abuse, and that is a large part of the reason why spanking is so frowned on; more often than not you have someone who has so angry that they´re not thinking clearly and the ´spanking´ of a child is replaced with the ´beating´ of a child and the beating is what I personally see as abuse. Spanking however is not, it is a form of discipline that in many cases is necessary to get children to comply with their parents, because this whole "time-out" thing? Yeah, works for a few, but not for all. And anyone that tells you otherwise is selling something. I can put my niece in time out, and sure it works. However in the after school program that I used to work at, time out did nothing but give the kids a new way to laugh at you, and do it loudly.
Children all in all just want structure, and they want discipline. They want to be shown who the boss is, and they want to know that the person in charge of them cares for them. If you let a child know that you care about them, and explain to them why they are getting a spanking, and do so calmly without anger, the idea of disappointing you as the adult is far worse than the pain of the spanking. The spanking simply showed them the painful side effects of their actions, as I explained earlier. And let the child know that you do not like to spank them. Principal Nixon stated in his interview with Newsweek which I quoted earlier on that he does not like having to resort to spanking. But sometimes, out of love, we have to do what we don´t want to do for what is best for our children.
But hey, that´s still just one man´s opinion.
And thank you for being here for the second edition of ´One Man´s Opinion´.
Now, I had this real silly long ended ´hello´ thought out and as I started to put it down to type, I realized just how incredibly stupid and cheesy it sounded. I tried so many different ways to adjust it, and it still just came off as totally dumb. So thankfully, there will be none of that from me…at least in this blog. But seriously, I want to thank everyone that read my last blog entitled "The Introduction" where I spoke on my feelings regarding the "dreaded" Swine Flu, or whatever they´re calling it now.
Today, I´ve decided to write about corporal punishment. I spent my ´Sunday´-which was actually Monday- with my wife and son, relaxing, watching TV and playing video games (Resident Evil 5 is a great game, just thought I´d throw that out there). I then decided before watching Gilmore Girls with my wife, that I would check my email. And on MSN.com they had a Newsweek article entitled ´Did Corporal Punishment Save A Struggling School?´ A link to the article will be provided at the end of the blog.
The article tells the story of South Carolina elementary school John C. Calhoun principal David Nixon. Nixon, who took over principal duties in 2006, claims that spanking the children is "the worse part" of his job, and "If I could burn that paddle in my stove, I would." That in my opinion is the most profound thing in the entire piece, and I will explain why shortly.
Its been stated by a student that there is a ´three strikes and you´re spanked´ rule, which goes to show that paddling is truly the last resort when there are no other options left, and only with parental consent, which Nixon got according to the article, a half hour into his first day on the job when a parent flat out gave him permission to "whip my son´s butt."
Now, a lot of people seem to have a problem with corporal punishment. It is looked at as barbaric and abusive towards children and a practice that we should totally shut the door on forever. Well, unfortunately for those people I flat out 100% DISAGREE.
I attended Catholic school from first grade until my sophomore year of high school (albeit at two different schools). Before I started Catholic school in the first grade, I went to a public school in Kindergarten. The main reason why I was sent to Catholic school was for the discipline that was provided in the curriculum.
I was diagnosed with ADHD when I was three years old, which meant that my Mother definitely had to spank me a few times to keep me under control. And while I wasn´t a "bad" child, I definitely would push my boundaries like crazy, every chance I possibly got. And when I was in Kindergarten, I became a "bad" child. I looked up girls´ dresses, fought everyone I could see, and was a general disruption. I´m surprised they let me out of Kindergarten to be quite honest.
However, my wanting to fight everyone, and trying to act out all the time definitely changed the day I walked into St. Agnes in Pittsburgh. Sister Elizabeth Ann wasn´t playing around and she showed me as such when I would act a fool. When I got paddled, I deserved it, and when I got home my Mother got her shots in too, and I deserved every single one.
Now, just because I was spanked does not mean that I was abused. Far from it honestly, as my Mother will be the first one to admit that she did not spank me every single time that I deserved it, but when the time came she did not shy away. Neither did Sister Elizabeth Ann.
I needed structure, I needed boundaries, and most of all, I needed to learn that my actions had consequences and they weren´t always going to be easy to deal with. In my own opinion, that is a lesson that too many children do not learn, so they grow into over privileged young adults with feelings of entitlement despite how they behave.
Now granted, I am generalizing with my previous statement, and even with the statement I am about to make. But before you get angry, think about what I´m saying. Now, I am sure that if you look hard enough to see my opinion on this, you can say ´Bryan I don´t agree with you, but I can see your point.´ and in so many ways, I understand why people do not agree with corporal punishment.
So many believe that it is negative reinforcement that only breeds fear, and that it has no real use in society. It is also believed that it is abuse no matter how you look at it, and that form of abuse cannot be conducive (yes I used a big word) to a child´s behavioral development.
Now for the final point, I 100% disagree. Using myself as a prime example, getting a spanking was definitely good for making me a model citizen. Granted I had to be punished in other ways also, but being spanked helped me to learn early lessons in having to be held accountable for my own actions. Being spanked taught me to stop peeing on the floor when the toilet wasn´t too far away up the stairs. Being spanked also taught me to stop fighting in school all the time, stop swearing at adults, and to show the proper respect when I was told to do something. As I got older, spanking was slowly phased out and having privileges taken away was the prime method of discipline.
Spanking should always be a deterrent, not a weapon. And a child should never be spanked while in anger. Spanking in anger is what leads to abuse, and that is a large part of the reason why spanking is so frowned on; more often than not you have someone who has so angry that they´re not thinking clearly and the ´spanking´ of a child is replaced with the ´beating´ of a child and the beating is what I personally see as abuse. Spanking however is not, it is a form of discipline that in many cases is necessary to get children to comply with their parents, because this whole "time-out" thing? Yeah, works for a few, but not for all. And anyone that tells you otherwise is selling something. I can put my niece in time out, and sure it works. However in the after school program that I used to work at, time out did nothing but give the kids a new way to laugh at you, and do it loudly.
Children all in all just want structure, and they want discipline. They want to be shown who the boss is, and they want to know that the person in charge of them cares for them. If you let a child know that you care about them, and explain to them why they are getting a spanking, and do so calmly without anger, the idea of disappointing you as the adult is far worse than the pain of the spanking. The spanking simply showed them the painful side effects of their actions, as I explained earlier. And let the child know that you do not like to spank them. Principal Nixon stated in his interview with Newsweek which I quoted earlier on that he does not like having to resort to spanking. But sometimes, out of love, we have to do what we don´t want to do for what is best for our children.
But hey, that´s still just one man´s opinion.
Print
Email
