The Effect of Yelling on Child Development
The news article and the study discussed are on the topic of child development, with specific reference to the effect of yelling at children as a means of correction or punishment. The news article is a New York Times item giving reasons why yelling at children is not the ideal correction or punishment method; Marche (2018). The article refers to an empirical study in the Journal of Child Development and a direct report from a professor of psychology and child psychiatry in Yale, Dr. Alan Kazdin. For the purpose of this paper, a peer-reviewed journal article on the subject of yelling at children is discussed; Ginta (2016).
Increase in Yelling as a Parenting Issue
The news article says that the use of spanking has been declining in the last 50 years, but the same cannot be said for yelling since it is a widespread parenting issue today. Referring to a study in the Child Development Journal on the relationship between parents’ harsh verbal discipline with adolescents, depressive indications and behavior problems, Marche says that yelling results to similar effects as physical punishment. These are increased anxiety levels, stress, and depression, as well as increased problems in behavior (Wang "Kenny, 2013).
The Negative Impact of Yelling
The article goes on to say that yelling doesn't make a parent look authoritative, but instead makes one look weak, as someone who knows nothing else to do. Marche says that yelling, instead of correcting, only imprints the habit of shouting onto the children. Dr. Kadzin describes an alternative to yelling, which he terms as ABC, that is antecedents, behaviors, and consequences. The antecedent is where one tells the child specifically what to do, the behavior is what is modeled by the parent, and the consequence is an expression of approval or praise for doing the right thing. According to him, this method is more proactive and deliberate and is effective in building habits as opposed to the reactive yelling.
The Long-Term Effects of Yelling
The medically reviewed article written by Daniela Ginta and reviewed by Laura Marusinec, MD, analyzes the long-lasting effects of yelling at a child; Ginta (2016). It starts by posing a question on why parents yell, which it answers to be feeling overwhelmed and angry. It, however, argues that shouting does not correct children's behaviors and attitudes, and even though they may seem to obey for a short while, they are more likely to fear the parent rather than understand the consequences of their actions.
The article goes on to describe the effects of yelling. It says that yelling makes children tune out and discipline is harder after that because it lowers their receptivity every time a parent shouts. Yelling also makes children aggressive, either verbally or physically, since it is an expression of anger. Yelling also makes children feel insecure. Yelling that comes with insults and verbal putdowns can actually be considered to be emotional abuse. The long-term effects are anxiety, low self-esteem and high levels of aggression. In addition, children's understanding of self-respect and healthy boundaries become skewed, and this may make them more susceptible to bullying.
Alternatives to Yelling
The article also gives alternatives to yelling. These are giving one-self a timeout when angry, talking with children about emotions, calmly but firmly addressing bad behavior, and using consequences rather than threats in disciplining them. It goes on to say that if yelling happens, the parent should own it up and apologize, and this will teach children about mistakes and apologizing. If the children yell, they should be reminded of boundaries, and that yelling is not an acceptable way of communicating.
Comparison of the Articles
These two articles are basically similar. They both address the issue of yelling at children from the approach of the effects on children, and their effectiveness in correcting children's bad behavior. Both also attempt to offer alternatives to yelling, and though different terms are used, the idea is proactiveness and handling one's emotion in disciplining children and focusing on changed behavior and mutual understanding between parents and their children.
However, there are differences in the style of communication between the two articles. The news article allows for a tone that seems to communicate the author’s personal opinion compared to the study one. The author of the news article uses such terms as ‘parental stupidity’ for yelling and strong statements such as ‘yelling makes you look weak and out of control’. In contrast, the study article uses more reserved language to express the message. Also, the news article seems to refer to a variety of relevant sources to put the message together, while the study article is a flow on the different aspects of the subject.
The news article does accurately describe the research. In fact, it makes it easy for the layman who may not understand figures and relationships in an empirical study to make sense of a study's results, as it communicates simply and clearly. However, the context for the research may not be put into consideration as the article only picks up what seems relevant to communicate its message.
Personal Impact and Conclusion
This information on yelling at children is relevant to my personal life since I have acquired important lessons on why I should not yell at my children, and it has given me alternatives for that. It has also contributed to increased knowledge in my career in the specific area of child development.
References
Ginta, D. (2016, March 23). The Long-Lasting Effects of Yelling at Your Kids. Retrieved from Healthline: https://www.healthline.com/health/parenting/yelling-at-kids#1
Marche, S. (2018, September 5). Why You Should Stop Yelling at Your Kids. Retrieved from The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/05/well/family/why-you-should-stop-yelling-at-your-kids.html
Wang, M.-T., " Kenny, S. (2013, September 3). Longitudinal Links Between Fathers’ and Mothers’ Harsh Verbal Discipline and Adolescents’ Conduct Problems and Depressive Symptoms. Retrieved from Child Development Journal: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/cdev.12143
