Why physical punishment of children should be taboo

Children are often disobedient, and getting their attention can be hard. But physical punishment doesn't fix the situation — it only breeds fear. By punishing, parents reinforce a fear of punishment in the child: they start doing the “forbidden” in secret and don't understand what exactly the mistake is.

Explaining what the mistake is and what it leads to really does take time. But that half hour of talking about discipline gives a child a healthy psyche and trust in their parents.

Long-term consequences

Children who are hit often take out aggression on the weaker. Boys who were punished may, as adults, choose partners who humiliate them; girls, too, often take on the victim role, seeing beatings as “normal”.

Violence has no educational value and is unacceptable in healthy family relationships. If you feel you can't cope with your emotions in parenting, that's a strong reason to seek support.