Discussion Information

Take a moment to imagine the following:

A child exhibits a problematic behavior. A parent sees this and disciplines the child.

• What does the child look like?
• Who is the parent?
• What is the setting like?
• What type of discipline is used?

Did your image include corporal punishment? In some communities and groups in the United States and elsewhere, corporal punishment, such as spanking, is an appropriate form of discipline.

In this discussion, we’ll explore the discipline styles used by different groups of US parents, and then compare these findings to research about parental disciplines used in other cultures.

We’ll also discuss outcomes associated with these disciplinary styles.

Discussion Topics/Question

In your initial response to this forum, please address all of the following:

• Differentiate between physical abuse, physical neglect, and corporal punishment.
• Next, locate at least one scholarly source (such as a peer-reviewed journal article or document from a governmental agency’s or professional association’s website) about the way(s) discipline is approached in an international culture.
• As discussed in Berk (2018), corporal punishment is used more so by some cultural groups, domestically and abroad. Compare and contrast the information you found to that offered by Berk (2018).
• Does spanking contribute to future problem behavior in childhood, adolescence, and/or adulthood?
• How does your understanding of cognitive and/or socioemotional developmental theories inform your response?