Spare the rod and spoil the child. Is this a sensible justification for the use of punishment in child rearing?
This paper examines the validity of the well-used proverb Spare the rod and spoil the child. To do this, the original form of the proverb from the Bible is compared with the modern form, and some significant differences are highlighted. The definition of punishment is considered, and the differences between punishment and corporal punishment are examined. Punishment is explored in some detail with attention given to the criteria that need to be satisfied in order for punishment to be effective. Discrepancies in the literature concerning these criteria are pointed out, making punishment a complex issue. The negative effects of punishment are significant with links to social problems such as teenage delinquency and violence. Reference is made to cultures where corporal punishment has been banned and the effects of this action. Given the problems associated with punishment programs, especially those being used in families, alternatives to punishment are discussed. Finally, an alternative form of the proverb to the current adaptation is offered.
Anglican Church Grammar School, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
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Carey
D000293:Adolescent; D001045:Aphorisms and Proverbs as Topic; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology; D001633:Bible; D002648:Child; D002668:Child Rearing; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D006801:Humans; D011678:Punishment; D012940:Social Problems; D012945:Social Values