Punishment has some immediate rewards, but they are offset by long term disadvantages.

Punishment:

• Depends on having you or another authority present.
• Teaches children to lie and sneak around behind your back in order to avoid punishment.
• Teaches children what not to do, but not what to do.
• Inhibits rather than promotes the learning process. Children can't learn while dealing with fear and humiliation.
• Can actually encourage undesired behavior if misbehaving is being used to get parental attention.
• May involve physical force (hitting, slapping, spanking) that can escalate into even more violence.
• Leads to children using force to solve disagreements.
• May lead to children seeking revenge.
• Often does not work with foster children, who may have been subjected to much more severe abuse than a foster parent would consider using.

 

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