TheLastManInAmerica

Federal Law describes Child Abuse as “Any recent act or failure to act on the part of a parent or caretaker which results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse or exploitation;” discipline is the defined as the practice of teaching and enforcing acceptable behavior. In regards to the physical and emotional, the lines can sometimes become blurred for parents when disciplining a child but one thing that would seem to be a given is that no parent would ever want another adult physically disciplining their children. But according to Department of Education statistics, over 220,000 students were recipients of corporal punishment, the most common of which is a paddling. And while proponents of the act claim it’s a good deterrent of unruly behavior, its opponents say it only deters learning and can actually provoke bad behavior in the future. No matter its effects, it still seems absurd that parents would actually condone their children to be disciplined in such a way by someone who at times are hardly closer to them than a stranger.      

      There is undoubtedly a real lack of respect and discipline in the younger generations that seems to get worse with time. Teachers, police, adults in general, even kids’ own parents are viewed with scorn and as nothing more than a hurdle to absolute freedom. This lack of respect for authority most likely stems from a lack of discipline as a while growing up but isn’t that something that needs to be imparted on the child by the parent? And if it is to be taught to the child by someone else, is it a good idea that they should be using force to get their point across?      

      It’s a sad fact that this world we live in often sees children spend more time with teachers than with parents. And as such, the teacher often must take up the reins of parental responsibility, helping to shape the child’s behavior and groom them into respectable young people. As with parenting, this task is difficult and certainly tempers will boil over on occasion. But if the teacher resorts to physical means of disciplining a child what is to be learned other than humiliation? And if students aren’t learning the kind of discipline at home that would keep them from acting out in class, a paddling probably won’t do anything other than lead to further insubordination from the child.      

       I, on the other hand, do not object to restrained physical discipline by parents. As a child I received spankings from my father and was at times snatched up by hair for getting out of line. I learned to control myself but I also learned it in context with love and respect and that my parents just wanted me to be well behaved and not such a little hellion. It’s difficult for that message to be conveyed from a teacher because rarely do they form such a close bond with their students. And if the only thing a student is learning is, “I’m hitting you because you were bad,” then they really learn nothing that they can better themselves by.

            Discipline is a precarious practice; sometimes it works, sometimes not one iota and some kids are just plain bad seeds that trying to discipline them will only make them want to act out even more. Add to that the physical element and you’re liable to swing it to the extreme. It is this uncertainty that makes even more dangerous to leave in the hands of someone who isn’t a parent. There are certain things that can and should only be taught to children by their parents. It’s a shame that more parents today don’t take the time to enlighten their kids in these areas but that doesn’t mean teachers or any other adults have the right to take it upon themselves.  Teachers teach math, health, science English and history, leave the rest to the parents.      

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