Smacking children is considered the best form of discipline.

The physical means of punishing children to discipline them has been around for generations. These people claim that beating children is the best way to assert control. This essay will discuss why physical punishment is strongly unacceptable. Some parents lack the patience to use a verbal approach to educate their children, while others believe this to be ineffective. There is a widespread belief that inflicting physical pain against unethical behavior tends to imprint in the memory while imposing a loud and clear message that some actions are not acceptable. For instance, "Gurukulas" in India rely on a physical form of punishment to discipline, control and shape children as per their liking. Parents seek the best interests of their children, and occasionally the fear of them doing something potentially dangerous or unethical causes the parents to resort to the physical form of punishment as a repercussion. Despite the long-going stigma of inflicting pain to discipline children, it is ridiculous to rely on this to indoctrinate children. Beating children not only causes physical harm but also does psychological damage. Researches have illustrated that children who undergo domestic violence during their adolescence are more likely to suffer from mental illness such as post-traumatic stress disorder, autism, depression, etc. A child is supposed to rely upon and look up to their parents, and when the parents hurt them, it forces them into mentally depressing and dark places, one that would make them question their existence and reality. In conclusion, this essay discussed why parenting resorting to a physical form of punishment is critically flawed, causing severe danger to the welfare of the children. Although physical means of discipline against children have been around for generations and generations, I strongly disbelieve in the existence of the very concept.