Virtually, every community teaches its members how to behave morally in the society. It encourages the members to treat others the same manner they would like to be treated. Ultimately, parents have taken the individual roles of teaching their children the conducts they require in the community. The initiatives involve warnings, disciplinary actions, and regulation of some practices. However, the child activists have termed the parental disciplinary actions as child abuse. Evidently, both the children, parents and the community are in a state of confusion whether disciplines and child abuse are similar occurrences.
Parents and the child caretakers argue that discipline is the intentional consequence presented to a child for any inappropriate action. The consequences are expected to be teaching moments of the child. Therefore, it is not an emotional or angry reaction towards the unwanted behavior of the child (Rhonda 171). For instance, a two-year-old child who tends to throw food on the floor might be subjected to some disciplinary action. The parent or caretaker might decide to take away the food calmly and warn the child against repeating such practices. The guardian intends to remind the child that such behavior is unacceptable and has logical consequences. It is not an action intended at denying the child access to adequate food. Ideally, the child would grow disciplined as he or she knows the dos, don’ts and the punishments of specific actions.
On the other hand, the child activists claim that parents usually scream and hit their children for specific behaviors. Apart from disciplining the child, the caretakers’ actions might involve physical engagement with the child. Besides, Ho and Deborah stated that some parents lack the control of their emotions hence might present the disciplinary actions fiercely and cruelly (89). Indeed, the steps only prepare the children for both physical and social abuse when they commit a mistake. In addition, the reactive and slashing states of the caretakers teach the children the opposite of what is expected. Younger children might think that yelling and hitting are legal behaviors in the society.
Although discipline teaches children the golden rules in the community, the possibilities of abuse are very high. According to Rhonda, if a child is presented with disciplinary action, the pain might take long to fade away from the child’s mind (182). He or she might fear to play or associate with other individuals due to the fear of punishment. Moreover, the relationship between the child and the parent is likely to deteriorate due to fear of penalties. Ideally, the disciplinary actions must not involve emotions as they can result in physical abuse.
On the contrary, parents are the first teachers that the child recognizes in the community. Although the parents might not be perfect, they are committed to keeping their children safe and respectful in the community. Therefore, children would have to accept that the actions presented by their guardians are for their future benefit. Discipline is such an action that builds the future social benefits of the child. In some situations, a knock or hitting might be involved to reveal the seriousness of the mistake. Parents are also caring, and their physical punishment might not harm the child in any manner. It all depends on the ability to control anger and other emotions when presenting the disciplinary actions. Consideration of such concept limits the occurrence of child abuse.
The parenting actions of lessening pressure also reveal the contradictions between discipline and child abuse. Indeed, a caretaker’s act of taking the naughty children to playpens or other safe grounds limits the possibilities of punishment. It also gives the parents time out as they have time to cool off. The caretakers in the designated locations might also teach the children about the legal practices in the community. However, the initiatives also limit the child’s interaction with family. Daycare, childcare or the crisis nurseries limits the time a child spends with other siblings or parents (Ho and Deborah 92). Evidently, the initiatives lead to loneliness which is a deprivation of children’s social rights. Although parents lessen pressure from their side, the outdoor care may be a form of child abuse as it leads to loneliness.
The impacts of the types of discipline can be lifelong. A child might develop morally throughout his or her lifetime. At the same time, emotional stress from the disciplinary actions might not fade out from the child’s memory in a short period. In some instances, some parents fail to understand whether their actions depicts discipline or child abuse. Therefore, parents must understand their child’s early development through effective parent-child interactions. Good parenting requires planning and understanding the rationale for the children’s appropriate behavior. Besides, parents must understand what they can do when they get out of control. He or she might offer a disciplinary action although it is a form of child abuse. Ideally, discipline as either a form of parenting or child abuse remains a controversial topic hence difficulty in resolving the problem.
Works Cited
Ho, Grace W.K., and Deborah A. Gross. "Differentiating Physical Discipline from Abuse: Q Findings from Chinese American Mothers and Pediatric Nurses." Child Abuse & Neglect, vol. 43, no. 3, 2015, pp. 83-94., doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2015.03.012.
Rhonda, L. "Techniques of Child Discipline and Abuse by Parents." Canadian Review of Sociology/Revue Canadienne De Sociologie, vol. 27, no. 2, 2014, pp. 157-185., doi:10.1111/j.1755-618x.1990.tb00449.x.
