How Does Corporal Punishment Influence Behavioural Outcomes In Adolescents?

Hannah Mary Vinesh

Corporal punishment is a form of discipline that has been defined as bodily punishment of

any kind. In fact, as of 2021 according to the World Health Organization, around 60% of

children globally aged 2–14 years regularly suffer physical punishment by their parents or

other caregivers, with spanking being one of its most common forms. Studying corporal

punishment is crucial as it has the potential to help improve parenting practices and ensure

that people are aware of the negative effects of enforcing corporal punishment on children.

One of the many potential negative effects of corporal punishment during childhood and

adolescence is poor behavioral outcomes in adolescence, however, more research is needed

on this topic as not much research looks at this during the adolescent stage of life. This paper

explores how corporal punishment may influence adolescent behavioral outcomes. More

specifically, the main focus of this research is the links between corporal punishment and

adolescent aggressive and antisocial behavior. This study hypothesizes that children exposed

to corporal punishment tend to develop increased aggression and antisocial behavior as they

grow. A potential implication of this research is recommendations for better parental

practices, and drawing light on this issue could lead to more mental health services for kids as

they grow up.

Keywords: corporal punishment, adolescence, aggression, antisocial behavior, interventions,

cross-cultural

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