Corporal punishment, as defined by E.T. Gershoff, is physical force used with the intention of causing pain, but not injury, in order to correct or control a child's behavior. It has been the most common form of discipline in Christianity-based societies since the beginning of history. These religious teachings have incorporated themselves into our society to the degree that corporal punishment is now largely practised out of cultural habit and, consequently, personal experience. Therefore, ignorance has become a key contributing factor to its continued use within our households and across the western world. Logically, the risks of using such methods to discipline children outweigh the benefits. Corporal punishment is an ineffective disciplinary strategy with short- to long-range negative repercussions that parents must be made aware of in order to raise their children - our future generation - in the most advantageous and nurturing way.

Corporal punishment is...