August 25, 2011
The National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners (“NAPNAP”) has issued an official position statement calling for widespread education about the harmful effects of corporal punishment. In the statement, issued on June 25, 2011, the Association takes a direct stance in opposition to corporal punishment in the home as well as in schools and instead asserts support for “alternative, non-violent, age-appropriate discipline strategies.”
Defining corporal punishment as “the use of physical force with the intention of causing a child to experience pain but not injury, for the purposes of correction or control of the child’s behavior”, the Association states that spanking can often be a first step toward escalating violence and cycles of abuse, potentially leading to beating with fists, switches, belts, cords, or other objects.
Pediatric Nurse Practitioners are in fact in a strategic position of direct contact with children and families such as to observe and advocate concerning effective versus harmful parenting methods.
Acknowledging that recent studies indicate that the majority of American parents use corporal punishment, the NAPNAP indicates that education is critical to ensure parents understand that what may be effective at stopping a particular behavior in the immediate present can be harmful to that child in the long term. The statement cites studies which have directly linked corporal punishment to higher levels of violence by the individual throughout the life span including increased violent behavior in adulthood.
You can read the full text of the NAPNAP’s official position statement at this link: NAPNAP Position Statement on Corporal Punishment.