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<div class="HwContainer HwElement" id="HwContainer"><a class="HwMainSkipNavigation" href="#HwContentTitle"><span class="HwAccessibilityText">Skip Navigation</span></a><div class="HwBlock" id="HwMain" role="main"><div class="HwRow"><div class="HwColumn" id="HwColumnSidebar1"><div class="HwCustom" id="HwCustomSidebar"> </div></div><div class="HwColumn" id="HwColumnContent"><div id="HwContentTop"> </div><div class="HwTypeFocus HwContentWrapper HwElement" role="article" id="HwContentWrapper"><div class="HwCustom" id="HwCustomContentTop"> </div><div class="HwContentHeader"><p><a name="top" id="Hwtop"><span class="HwAccessibilityText">Top of the page</span></a> </p></div><div class="HwContentTitle"><h1 id="HwContentTitle" tabindex="-1">Corporal Punishment</h1></div><div class="HwContentTopNavigation"> </div><div class="HwContent"><div class="HwNavigationSection HwSectionSpecialSection" id="sec-tm4923-sec"><h2 class="HwSectionTitle" fingerprint="b4cb0a40" fingerprint-exact="e7c3d1bb">Overview</h2> <p fingerprint="e3a4b1c5" fingerprint-exact="d00d1fef">Corporal punishment is the intentional use of physical force to cause bodily pain or discomfort as a penalty for unacceptable behavior. Corporal punishment includes any action that produces discomfort, such as: </p> <ul fingerprint="41f77bd3" fingerprint-exact="33240a8e"> <li>Spanking, hitting, slapping, pinching, ear pulling, jabbing, shoving, or choking. </li> <li>Forcing a child to assume a position that becomes painful over time. </li> <li>Confining a child in an uncomfortable space. </li> <li>Denying bathroom privileges. </li> <li>Forcing a child to eat a noxious substance, such as soap or dog food. </li> <li>Withholding water and food. </li> </ul> <p fingerprint="961f56c7" fingerprint-exact="fb1ab808"> <b>Corporal punishment is not an effective method of managing behavior.</b> It does not teach a child how to act properly. At best, corporal punishment has only a temporary effect on behavior. And it may even make it worse. Not only does it reinforce some problem behavior, but also it teaches a child that physical force is the way to resolve conflict. </p> <p fingerprint="9bfa92b8" fingerprint-exact="e411280c">Corporal punishment can also have emotional and psychological effects, both short- and long-term, such as: </p> <ul fingerprint="4f3cbba3" fingerprint-exact="eaf8f105"> <li>Impairing a child's trust and confidence. </li> <li>Causing embarrassment, humiliation, a sense of worthlessness, anger, resentment, and confusion. </li> <li>Causing children to have trouble forming close relationships, especially intimate relationships, with others later in life. </li> </ul> <p fingerprint="6f3b9bf0" fingerprint-exact="b1e4df33">There are lots of other ways to discipline your child. Effective alternatives to corporal punishment depend on the age of your child and include: </p> <ul fingerprint="0ce4ecc2" fingerprint-exact="00bf786e"> <li>Using distraction. </li> <li>Using time-out. </li> <li>Talking about why a certain behavior is wrong and what can be done instead. </li> <li>Discussing values. </li> <li> Creating consequences for actions that violate acceptable behaviors within your family. </li> </ul> <p fingerprint="e3ee624e" fingerprint-exact="e4d899e4"> <b>Research has shown that positive reinforcement is more effective than corporal punishment.</b> Catch your child doing something right and praise your child. Don't wait until your child has done something wrong to notice their behavior. </p> </div><div class="HwNavigationSection HwSectionRelatedInformation" id="sec-tm4923-RelInfo"><h2 class="HwSectionTitle" fingerprint="d5f858e0" fingerprint-exact="c0ffe04b">Related Information</h2><ul fingerprint="dbfca4c8" fingerprint-exact="6012f23c"><li class="HwOptionalAny"><a data-hw-type="Symptom" data-hw-document-href="anger" data-hw-section="hw264689" hw:document-type="Symptom" hw:document-href="anger" data-hwid="anger" hw:section-href="hw264689" href="?id=anger#hw264689">Anger, Hostility, and Violent Behavior</a></li><li class="HwOptionalAny"><a data-hw-type="Special" data-hw-document-href="uf4870" data-hw-section="acn6940" hw:document-type="Special" hw:document-href="uf4870" data-hwid="uf4870" hw:section-href="acn6940" href="?id=uf4870#acn6940">Bullying</a></li><li class="HwOptionalAny"><a data-hw-type="Special" data-hw-document-href="tm4865" data-hw-section="tm4868" hw:document-type="Special" 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