Page 407 - Sociology and You

Chapter 11 The Family 377
and his colleagues suggest that the reduction or elimination of corporal punishment could lower antisocial behavior in children. In addition, given research indicating a relationship between antisocial behavior in childhood and violence and other crime in adulthood, society at large could benefit from abandoning the use of cor- poral punishment in child rearing. They state it this way:
Thus, because almost all American children experience [corporal punishment] in varying degrees, our findings suggest that almost all American children could benefit from a re- duction or elimination of [corporal punish- ment]. Moreover, considering research showing that [antisocial behavior] in child- hood is associated with violence and other crime as an adult, society as a whole, not just children, could benefit from ending the sys- tem of violent child-rearing that goes under the euphemism of spanking (Straus, Sugarman, and Giles-Sims, 1997).
Working with the Research
Spanking as a corrective for bad behavior was a norm in the past, as evidenced by this popular 1899 woodcut.
1. Does a link between childhood corporal punishment and anti- social behavior surprise you? Explain.
2. Suppose that you are on a panel reporting on child rearing to the President of the United States. Using the Straus study as a model, describe the study you would conduct on a possible re- lationship between childhood corporal punishment and adult crime.
3. How do you anticipate these children will discipline their chil- dren later in life?
4. Describe what you think would be more effective means of discipline.
5. Do you think that social science evidence such as this has affected teacher disciplining behavior in schools? Will it? Should it? Explain.