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Running Head: Spanking and Corporal Punishment

The Attitudes of Tuskegee University’s Students about Corporal Punishment

Eboni S. Austin

Social Work 300

Ms. McArthur

February 27, 2010

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Abstract

Spanking and corporal punishment is the intentional infliction of pain on the body for the

purposes of punishment. Some examples of corporal punishment are spanking, slapping,

pinching, hitting with objects, pinching, and forcing to stand for long periods of time. Most

children receive spanking from their parents during childhood. They may receive this form of

punishment because of behavior issues, disobedience, not doing chores, etc. As a child matures,

they assess the punishment that received in the past. A survey was distributed to the Tuskegee

University students to view their attitudes about spanking and corporal punishment.
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Introduction

I. Description of problem- The problem that will be investigated is the attitudes

that Tuskegee University’s students have about spanking and corporal

punishment. Spanking and corporal punishment is the infliction of pain. This can

be done by spanking, slapping or hitting an individual with objects. Children are

mostly likely to be the individuals who suffer from corporal punishment. They

may receive a spanking because of misbehaving or poor academic performance.

Spanking can bring about changes in the attitudes of the children, increase the

chances of child abuse and affects the child in their future.

Children can become aggressive or defensive as a result of spanking.

Children who receive spankings because of behavior are likely to become fearful

when going home. The child understands that his or her actions will result in a

spanking. Often times, children tend to continue to misbehave even though they

know the punishment that awaits them. Children may become bullies to other

children as a result of them getting spankings at home. After a parent realizes that

the punishment they are giving the child is not working, they result in using

hasher force on the child.

Parents who tend to spank their children repeatedly often use other objects

to increase the pain in the punishment. Objects that are commonly used are hair

brushes, brooms, extension cords, clothes hangers or sticks. These objects may

leave bruises on the child. Harsher punishment may be classified as child abuse.

Parents may claim that the child only understands physical punishment. However,
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after too many spankings, the child may grow up with aggression towards people

and have a major affect on their future.

Spanking can alter a child’s perception and have a negative effect on their

future. Children who were spanked may become physically or verbally aggressive

towards others. As an adult, they may fight occasionally or be the abuser in

relationships. They may get arrested several times. It should be understood that

both sexes can have these changes to occur as a result of spanking. Males can be

the most impacted. Women can be in an abusive relationship and believe that the

person is doing it because they love her. These events can be easily traced back to

spanking.

Overall, spanking can have a negative effect on the child. The child

attitude may be altered because of spankings. They may become aggressive

towards other children. Parents may increase the punishment by using objects

such as brushes, hangers, etc. In time, the child may develop an attitude and

personality that may be harmful to their future.

II. Attributes to be measured- The survey about spanking will be distributed to

students of Tuskegee University. These students will vary in age, gender and

classifications. The purpose of the survey is to see how the student body responds

to the subject. There will be seven questions that will be asked and the answers

will be yes or no and one scale question. With the survey, data will be compiled to

analyze the results.

The first three questions that will be asked will be the demographics of the

respondents. Age is the first factor to be measured. This factor is important

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because some younger respondents may have a different perception of the topic

than the respondents who are older. The next factor is the respondent gender.

Women may have not received spanking versus the male respondents. The last

factor to be measured is the respondents’ classification.

Tuskegee University’s students will be asked if they believe it is okay to

spank children as a means of discipline. This question will be answered by either

selecting yes or no. This question would asses the respondent’s feeling about

spanking the child in order to discipline them. The next question will be whether

or not the respondent, himself, received spanking. This will ultimately provide

reasons to why the respondents think it is okay to spank a child.

TU’s students will next answer if parents should be able to spank children

and if spanking actually works better than any other disciplinary methods. These

questions test the knowledge of the respondent to see if they have had parents

who only used spanking any may have had an effect on the respondent. The other

forms of disciplinary actions my include time outs or grounding. If the respondent

believes spanking is better, then it is assumed that the parents did not use any

other forms more than spanking.

The last three questions are vital to the understanding of the effects of

spanking. One question that was asked was if the respondent ever been in trouble

with the police. This question can definitely relate those who got spankings to

arrests. Spankings may have made the respondent who got spankings aggressive

and landed them in trouble with the law. The next question was does the

respondent think they deserve the punishment they received as a child. The last
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question was a scale question which measured how likely the respondent will

spank their children.

These questions will measure the attitudes of spanking from the TU

students. The TU students will express their opinions whether or not children

should receive spankings. The students will also answer whether they received

spankings as a child. This is beneficial because it will determine if the

respondents will spank their future children because they got spankings.

III. Hypotheses, expectations, or research question- The students of Tuskegee

University will take a survey about spanking and corporal punishment. There will

be seven questions to analyze the attitudes about spanking. With the results from

the survey, I expect to find how many students received spankings as a child, how

many students favor spanking, how many students may have had trouble with the

police, and how many students believe they deserve the spankings they receive as

a child.

I believe there will be a very high rate of students who received spankings.

Many of the students on Tuskegee University campus answered yes to receiving

spankings. While doing the paper surveys most respondents made comments such

as they were bad children who often get in trouble with their parents.

One of the effects that arise from spankings is aggression. One question on

the survey asked the respondents if they ever got into trouble with the police. If

the respondents received spankings, then they may be likely to get in trouble with

the law. They may have been fighting, stealing or verbally aggressive. If the
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respondent did not get in trouble with the law, then they may have got in trouble

that would be considered minor.

The respondents who answered yes to being spanked were then asked if

they deserved the spanking. Spanking typically occurs when the child

misbehaves. The survey may have a high rate of respondents who believed they

deserved the spankings. It was a small number of respondents who chose not to

respond when asked these two questions. After compiling the data, the majority of

respondents did in fact get spankings as a child. Most also responded yes to

whether they deserve the spankings.

IV. Rationale- Majority of the respondents received spankings when they were

children. The data shows that 82.7% of the respondents answered yes to ever

being spanked as a child. 14.7% of the respondents said they did not get spanked

and 2.7% of the respondents did not answer the question. Of the respondents who

received spankings, 61.3% said they deserved the spankings 36% of the

respondents said they did not deserve the spankings they received.

For those respondents who did the paper survey, they discussed the survey

after submitting it. They said they would receive spankings because of their

behavior or because they were disrespectful. These comments as well as personal

experiences lead me to believe that the majority of the respondents would respond

yes to the question, “Did you get spanked?” The data collected confirmed my

assumptions about the subject.

I assumed that all of the respondents who received spankings had trouble

with police. I assumed this to be true because most individuals who suffered from
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constant spankings were aggressive. Individuals may suppress their angry they

had towards their parents and release it on others. However, the data contradicted

my assumption. 18.7% of the respondents said they had trouble with the police.

78.7% of the respondents did not have trouble with the police. 2.7% of

respondents did not answer the question.

There are alternatives to disciple besides spanking. 30.7% of the

respondents said that it is not okay to spank children as a means on discipline. On

the other hand, 69.3% of the respondents said it is. When asked if they will spank

their children, 18.7% of the respondents said that it is highly likely that they will

spank their children. 17.3% of the respondents said that it is highly unlikely that

they will spank their children. For those respondents who received spankings and

agree they would spank their children, I hope they will find another discipline

method to punish their children.

Results

Table 1
Sex of the Respondents
Sex Frequency Percent
Female 54 72.0
Males 20 26.7
Missing 1 1.3
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Table 2
Age of Respondents
Age Frequency Percent
Under 21 55 74.3
21-24 15 20.0
25-40 4 5.3
Missing 1 1.3

Table 3
Respondents’ Classification

Classification Frequency Percent

Freshman 45 60.0
Sophomore 22 29.3
Junior 4 5.3
Senior 4 5.3

Table 4
Do you think it is okay to spank children as a means of discipline?
Response Frequency Percent
Yes 23 30.7
No 52 69.3
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Table 5
Did your parents spank you as a means of discipline?
Response Frequency Percent
Yes 62 82.7
No 11 14.7
Missing 2 2.7

Table 6
Should parents be allowed to use corporal punishment to discipline their children?
Response Frequency Percent
Yes 49 65.3
No 24 32.0
Missing 2 2.7

Table 7
Does corporal punishment work better than other disciplinary methods that don’t involve
physical pain?
Response Frequency Percent
Yes 31 41.3
No 44 58.7
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Table 8
Have you ever been in trouble with the police?
Response Frequency Percent
Yes 14 18.7
No 59 78.7
Missing 2 2.7

Table 9
Overall, do you think you deserve the punishment that your parents/guardians used on you when
you were a child?
Response Frequency Percent
Yes 46 61.3
No 27 36.0
Missing 2 2.7

Table 10
How likely do you think you will spank your children as a means of discipline? With 1 being
highly unlikely and 5 being very likely
Response Frequency Percent
Highly unlikely 13 17.3
Unlikely 18 24.0
Neutral 20 26.7
Likely 1 13.3
Highly likely 14 18.7
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Discussion

Basic Analysis

Graphs
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The survey was distributed to students who attend Tuskegee University. Of all of the

respondents who took the survey, 72% were females. There were 26.7% of respondents who

were males and 1.3% did not identify their gender. The respondents of the survey also varied in

age. There were 74.3% of respondents who were under the age of 21. 20% of respondents were

21-24 years of age. The respondents who were 25-40 was represented by 5.3% and 1.3% of

respondents did not report their age. Another factor with the respondents was their classification.

Majority of the respondents were freshman. They were represented by 60%. 29.3% of the

respondents were sophomores. The junior and senior classes were both represented by 5.3%
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This chart is the responses of the students at Tuskegee. This question asks if they think it

is okay for parents to spank children as a means of discipline. Among the respondents who took

the survey, 31% said that it is okay to spank children. 69% of respondents disagree and said it is

not oaky to spank children. The respondents who said yes may have reasons such as it will serve

as punishment to the children who disobey their parents. These children should receive some

type of punishment and the respondents who agree spanking may help. The respondents who

said no to spanking may know other methods than may be better than spanking. These

individuals may think spanking is too harsh for the children to endure. Spanking, to these

respondents, may affect the child tremendously.

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The respondents to the survey were given this question that asked if they were spanked as

a child. 82% of the respondents said that they did get spanked as a child. These children may

have violated their parents’ rules which resulted into a spanking as their punishment. 15% of the

respondents said they did not receive spankings. They could have been well behaved children or

their parents used another form of punishment when they misbehaved. Some of the respondents

failed to answer the question. 3% of the respondents did not answer this particular question.
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There has been debate about using corporal punishment on children. Many people feel

that there are other methods to discipline children. This question that was given to the

respondents at Tuskegee University and it asks should parents be allowed to use corporal

punishment to discipline their children. 65% of the respondents said that parents should use

corporal punishment to discipline their children. On the other hand, only 32% of the respondents

disagreed. Parents do not have to result to corporal punishment to discipline their children.
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There are other alternatives to discipline a child besides spanking. Two common methods are

grounding and time outs. These other methods do not involve physical pain to the child. This

question that was presented to the respondents asked if they thought corporal punishment was

better than any other method that does not cause physical pain. 41% of the respondents said yes

while 59% of the respondents said no. I believe the respondents who said yes may have received

spankings and feel that they have turned out pretty well because of spankings. The respondents

who said no may know the effects of spanking on a child. They strongly believe there is another

method to use besides spanking.

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Many would assume that the children who receive spankings would make a negative turn in

their future lives. Children may be aggressive and physically and verbally abuse others. As

adults, they may get in trouble with the law. The next question that was asked to the students of

Tuskegee University was have they ever been in trouble with the police. Only 19% of the

respondents said that they have had issues with the police. 78% of the respondents did not have

trouble with the law. If in fact that spanking is highly related to rate of arrest, then this graph

would be different. The respondents of TU may not believe that spanking played a part in getting

in trouble with the law. Also, 3% of the respondents did not want to answer this question.
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When a child look back and reflect on their past, they may wonder why did they

perform certain antics. They may also discuss with friends about the spankings they would get as

a result of their action. This question asked the respondents if they felt like they deserved the

punishment they received as a child. 61% of the respondents felt that they did deserve the

punishment they received. They may have felt guilty for doing what they did in order to get the

punishment. They may not blame their parents but simply rethink the decisions that may have

been occurring in their heads in the past. 36% of the respondents felt they did not deserve the

punishment they received as a child. Many factors can come into place to analyze their reasons.

The child may have not done anything wrong and it was just the parent who had the issue. There

could also be the fact that the child may not want to admit that they were wrong in the situation

that resulted in the spanking.

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This graph gives an overall perspective of the respondents’ views on spanking. After

assuming that spanking results in changes in the child, this graph is the respondents’ responses to

whether they would spank their children. 33% of the respondents were in the middle. They may

consider other options in order to discipline their children. 22% of the respondents said they it is

a high chance that they will not spank their children. 23% said that they will spank their children

as a means of discipline. It is best that parents and future parents find other methods to discipline

their children. Children may not have any trouble with the police if their parents use something

other than physical force. The child may not learn anything from the spanking besides being

aggressive towards others because their parents were aggressive towards them.
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This graph represents those respondents who received spanking verses those respondent

who did not get spankings. 84.9% of respondents, under 21, said they received spankings as a

child. 15.1% of those respondents in the same age group said they did not receive spankings.

80% of the respondents who were 21-24 said they received spankings. 20% of the respondents in

the same age group did not receive spankings. 100% of respondents in the age group 25-40

received spankings during their childhood. Spankings are commonly used by parents. Majority

of the respondents received spankings as a child. Those who did not receive spankings may have

received another form of punishment. It is not surprising that majority of the respondents

received spankings.
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The graphs above take the responses of the male and female respondents by classification and

ask if they received spankings as a child. On the left is the graph for the female. 87.9% of female

freshman said they received spankings and 12.1% of them did not. 93.3% of sophomores

received spankings while only 6.7% of sophomore females did not. There was a 50/50 split with

the junior, female respondents. 100% of the senior, females received spankings. These findings

were compared to the male respondents. 77.8% of freshman, males received spankings. 22.2% of

the respondents in this same category did not receive spankings. 71.4% of sophomore, males

received spankings while 28.6% of the sophomore males did not. 100% of the junior males

received spankings and there was a 50/50 split among the senior males who did and did not

receive spankings as a child.

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The graph above is the results from the question, “Is it okay to spank children?” The results

are from respondents of different age groups. The age groups are under 21, 21-24, and 25-40.

There are percents that display the results for each age group. 27.3% of respondents’ under the

age of 21 said yes to spankings. On the other hand, 72.7% of respondent, under 21, said it is not

okay to spank children. The next age group is 21-24. 46.7 % of these respondents said that it is

okay to spank children and 53.3% of the respondents in this age group said no to spankings.

Respondents who were 25-40 have a 75% rate of those who opposed of spankings. Several

respondents do not agree with spankings. They may be in favor of other forms of punishment.
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The graphs above are the responses of the respondents’ views on spanking children. The

male respondents are on the left and the female respondents are on the right. 12.5% of the male

respondents under the age of 21 said it is okay to spank children. Compare to the female

respondents, 30.4% of females, under 21, said that it is okay to spank children. Among the

respondents of the same age group, 87.5% of males and 69.6% of females disagree with

spanking children. The numbers begin to change with age. Older respondents favor spanking as a

means to discipline children. 44.4% of male respondents and 50% of female respondents think it

is okay to spank children. On the other hand, 55.6% of males and 50% of female respondents do

not think it is okay to spank children. 100% of the female respondents feel that spanking is not

okay. Other forms of punishment are available to parents in order to abandon the method of

spanking. Spanking has many affects on the children and respondents feel that parents should use

alternative methods.
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The graph above are the responses of respondents’ view on whether they deserved the

punishment they received as a child. Most children receive spankings because of behavior issues.

Other children may receive spankings because their parents are abusive. Spanking can alter the

child’s behavior and attitude. This can have an affect on their future. Children may become

aggressive as a result of the spankings they received as a child. This should be stopped before the

child becomes worse.

69.8% of respondents, under the age of 21, said they deserved the spankings they received as

a child. 46.7% of 21-24 aged respondents said they deserved their spanks and 50% of 25-40

agreed as well. On the other hand, 30.2% of respondents under 21 said they did not deserve the

spankings they received. 53.3% of 21-24 age respondents felt they did not deserve the spankings

they received as a child. Only 50% of respondents in the age group 25-40 said they did not

deserve the spankings they received.

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Summary and Conclusion

Corporal punishment is the intentional infliction of pain on the body for the purposes of

punishment. Examples of corporal punishment includes spanking, slapping, pinching, hitting

with objects, or forcing to stand for long periods of time. Spanking is commonly used to

discipline children. The reason for spanking could be because of misbehavior, poor grades, or

lack of performing household chores. It has been debated that spanking is not a method that

should be used to discipline children. Spanking alters the attitudes of children increase the

chances of child abuse and affects the child in their future.

Children can become aggressive or defensive as a result of spanking. Children who receive

spankings because of behavior are likely to become fearful when going home. The child

understands that his or her actions will result in a spanking. Often times, children tend to

continue to misbehave even though they know the punishment that awaits them. 82% of the

respondents said that they did get spanked as a child. These children may have violated their

parents’ rules which resulted into a spanking as their punishment. 15% of the respondents said

they did not receive spankings. Children may become bullies to other children as a result of them

getting spankings at home. After a parent realizes that the punishment they are giving the child is

not working, they result in using hasher force on the child.

Parents who tend to spank their children repeatedly often use other objects to increase

the pain in the punishment. Objects that are commonly used are hair brushes, brooms, extension

cords, clothes hangers or sticks. These objects may leave bruises on the child. Harsher

punishment may be classified as child abuse. Among the respondents who took the survey, 31%

said that it is okay to spank children. 69% of respondents disagree and said it is not oaky to

spank children. Parents may claim that the child only understands physical punishment.
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However, after too many spankings, the child may grow up with aggression towards people and

have a major affect on their future.

Spanking can alter a child’s perception and have a negative effect on their future. Children

who were spanked may become physically or verbally aggressive towards others. As an adult,

they may fight occasionally or be the abuser in relationships. They may get arrested several

times. Only 19% of the respondents said that they have had issues with the police. 78% of the

respondents did not have trouble with the law. There were also 3% of respondents who chose not

to respond to the question. These events can be easily traced back to spanking.

Spanking is not the only means to discipline children. 22% of the respondents said they

it is a high chance that they will not spank their children. 23% said that they will spank their

children as a means of discipline. It is best that parents and future parents find other methods to

discipline their children. Spanking can lead to changes in the child. Parents do not want their

children to be a problem to society, therefore, they should find another way to discipline the

child so it will not promote negative actions in the child’s future.