The Effects of Corporal PunishmentThe debate over whether the use of corporal punishment (e.g., spanking, slapping) should be used as a form of discipline is controversial. Some parents believe that there is nothing wrong with corporal punishment, while others believe that corporal punishment should only be used in certain cases (for example, spanking or slapping a child for touching or played with something dangerous), and there are also parents who think that a child should never be physically punished. Although most people agree that it is wrong to physically address someone (hit), physical punishment of a child continues to be used as an acceptable form of discipline. Most parents use corporal punishment as a way to prevent or get a child to comply with unacceptable behavior (Gershoff, 2010). Such reasons can be effective in the short term, but a parent should not only focus on the short term, they should focus on the long term results. A parent's goals should be to promote good behavior with rewards, thereby producing long-term compliance. Corporal punishment decreases positive behaviors, thereby affecting a child's behavior in the opposite way from what the parents intended. Physical Injury and Abuse The act of corporal punishment such as spanking is defined as physical force used to cause momentary pain, but not to cause injury to a child in order to control or correct negative behavior (Straus, 2000 cited by Rodriguez, 2010). Since corporal punishment involves physical force from a parent, who is much larger and stronger, the risk of harming a child is high; even when a parent does not intend for this to happen (Gershoff, 2010). Punishment decreases positive behaviors, thereby affecting a child's behavior in the opposite way from what the parents intended. Corporal punishment does more harm than good to a child. Works Cited Erath, SA, El-Sheikh, M. and Mark Cummings, EE (2009). Harsh parenting and child externalizing behavior: Skin conductance reactivity as a moderator. Child Development, 80(2), 578-592. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.2009.01280.xGershoff, E.T. (2010). More Harm Than Good: A Summary of Scientific Research on the Intentional and Unintentional Effects of Corporal Punishment on Children. Law and Contemporary Problems, 73(2), 31-56. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.Rodriguez, C.M. (2010). Parent-child aggression: Association with child maltreatment potential and parenting styles. Violence and Victims, 25(6), 728-741. do I:10.1891/0886-6708.25.6.728