In today's society, the job of parenting can be very difficult and, at times, extremely frustrating. As children show disobedience and misbehave, many parents simply do not know how to respond in ways that will effectively teach their children right from wrong, while still ensuring their proper psychological, cognitive, and emotional development. When discussion, logic, communication, and regulation fall short of altering their children's behaviors, many of these individuals resort to the practice of corporal punishment in a final effort to discipline their children (Good, B9). Corporal punishment, however, is not a good solution to behavioral problems, due to its ineffectiveness and negative impact, and should not be used in disciplining a child.

             This paper will discuss the reasons parents use discipline with their children, in order to further understand the goal of discipline methods. Additionally, this paper will analyze arguments from proponents of corporal punishment in an effort to comprehend those beliefs. Finally, arguments against corporal punishment will be discussed, and will show clearly that, while corporal punishment may be a legal and accepted method of discipline, it should not be used due to its ineffectiveness and negative consequences for children.

             In general, parents use discipline to teach their children the differences between right and wrong. To some, discipline is a way to control even the smallest sign of disobedience (Bolotin, SM34). For those individuals, "right" appears to mean following the social norm, or following parental instruction. For others, it is a way to ensure immediate compliance in troublesome situations (Straus, 52). For these parents, discipline is simply a tool to enforce the strictest regulations they may place on their child.

             In the course of enforcing regulations and rules, some parents and psychologists argue, corporal punishment is a useful tool.