Is Punishment an Effective Behavior Modification Strategy in Children?

IS PUNISHMENT AN EFFECTIVE BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION STRATEGY IN CHILDREN?

Morris, S. Z., & Gibson, C. L. (2011). Corporal Punishment's Influence on Children's Aggressive and Delinquent Behaviour, 38(8), 818-839.

- Children who experienced corporal punishment have a higher chance in participating in aggressive and delinquent manners.

- Data's were applied from the longitudinal study of the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighbourhoods.

- Results obtained did not specify that the use of corporal punishment would direct to future misbehaviour.

Evaluation: Coherent and well-written journal article however, signs of biasness may exist. Thus, data should be recollected and findings should be discussed in order to overcome the limitations of the present study.

Kaylor, A. G. (2005). Corporal Punishment and the Growth Trajectory of Children's Antisocial Behaviour, 10(3), 283-292.

- The aim of the article is to illustrate that corporal punishment is correlated with children's preliminary and modification in antisocial behaviour.

- Method used included collecting 6912 data of children in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth and analysed by applying hierarchical linear models.

- Results have proposed that corporal punishment is not a desirable technique in the obedience of children.

Evaluation: The study consisted of excellent analysis of the topic through experimental methods, results and discussion. Overall, clear explanations were conveyed to readers, in which corporal punishment leads to initial anti-social behaviour of the children.

Holden, G. W. (2002). Perspectives on the Effects of Corporal Punishment, 128(4), 590-595.

- E.T Gershoff's (2002) meta-analyses regenerated the negative effects of corporal punishment towards spanking of their children.

- Prospects of learning theory, socialisation theory and the children's viewpoint were taken into account.

- Statistics: No positive outcomes are associated with punishment towards children, but merely physical harm and reduced well-being in their health.

Evaluation: Well structured meta-analysis which provides informative data on the topic which incorporated Gershoff's famous Model. Some limitations, which include for parents who have engaged in more brutal types of physical punishment, did not take into account in the questionnaire. Hence, results could not reveal on parental customary corporal punishment in determining excessively abusive behaviour towards their children.