Many parents use punishment to teach the different between right and wrong to kids. Many think punishment is unnecessary to help children learn the distinction between right and wrong. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

 Many parents use punishment to teach the different between right and wrong to kids. Many think punishment is unnecessary to help children learn the distinction between right and wrong. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Why Punishment 

• Spare the rod,  spoil the kid:  the easiest way to ensure that similar mistakes are not repeated. 
• do not take things for granted 
• Teach the value of virtue of a righteous way of life. 
• Help foster rational approach and prevent unsocial behavior

Why not 

• Adversely impact their personalities, turning them into either rebellious, or timid. 
• counseling is a better way of addressing behavioral issues  

Parenting is an arduous task and to negotiate it effectively, many resort to retribution, but this conservative approach is challenged by modern thinkers who vouch for complete abandonment of the punitive practice, who vociferously assert that this can impede growth of young ones. 

For many parents it seems almost instinctive to respond to a child’s inco-operative behavior by retributing them. They believe in an old saying, “Spare the rod,  spoil the kid”; thus, for them this is the easiest way to teach their wards, so that similar mistakes are not repeated and young individuals do not act with impunity and take things for granted. Rebuking them will make them appreciate the difference between the right and wrong effortlessly and also compel them to follow the norms without questions. 

On top of that, reprimand is also a way of inciting discipline in growing minds who must realize and appreciate the value of virtue of a righteous way of life. This practice  can help foster rational approach among the future citizens who would learn to abstain from unsocial behavior later in life and grow up as lawful and  well-informed adults.  

Having said that, the contemporary concepts being popularized by child theorists do not concur with the traditional methods of  child rearing that entails chastising youngsters, for it can adversely impact their personalities, turning them into either rebellious - who might seek vengeance later on others, or timid - unable to take their own decisions and see the things from their own perspective. This, in modern times when most live in nuclear families, children growing up in punitive environment may end up leading a disturbed adult life.   

Overall, controversies apart, I fail to subscribe to the idea of not punishing youngsters while imparting important lessons of life though one must always ensure using such measures in moderation so that young ones do not experience extreme distortions in their behavior.