beating kids?

Question

does beating kids cause later behavioral problems later in life?

Answer 1

Beating is abuse, yes, it can cause psychological damage that can lead to behavioral problems.

Spankings, no. I was spanked, my siblings were spanked. We're well-adjusted adults. :) Spankings are not beatings, remember that.

... Okay... people disagree with the fact that beatings can cause psychological damage? Wow... pretty sad.

Answer 2

There is a major difference between a spanking and a beating. There are also many other factors that contribute to some one having behavioral problems latter in life from being abused as a child. I am a psychology major and if you will humor me for a moment I will do my best to explain in laymen terms.

Children are extremely resilient, with that being said, there are many very productive members of society who have had very bad childhoods but on the flip side of that there are some who have had equally bad childhoods and are very disturbed adults. So why such a range? Well it has a lot to do with genetics believe it or not. There is no way to tell which child if beaten will become a valued member of society and which will be the next Jeffery Domer. It will cause long term scaring but it is all how a person is capable of dealing with it that makes a difference. Not every abused child will grow up and become a serial killer (serial killers are actually very rare considering how much abuse there really is). Also the mind has a special filter that in some people will block out the worse of the abuse in others that filter is broken and they sadly are the ones that will have the hardest time in life.

It is not just the physical abuse that can cause problems it is how the child is treated before and after, for example if a child is beaten then taken for ice-cream that causes confusion, but if a child is beaten and ignored that causes self doubt and loathing. It is a very tricky slippery slope when dealing with the human mind. I am not sure if I answered you question or not but I hope I cleared somethings up for you.

Answer 3

Beating kids is wrong. Period. It causes physical harm.

Spanking, though - I really do not get why people seem to believe that a child can understand what they did wrong if the punishment is timeout, but not if it's a smack? I do smack my children, for serious, dangerous misbehaviour - not only are they told what they did wrong, at their level, just like the "use time out" poster said, but it would always be for something they ALREADY knew was wrong before they even did it. And I can't even remember the last time it happened.

Any sort of discipline, used inconsistently and without telling your child why, is likely to cause behavioural problems - because the child never knows what they will be punished for. Praising your child one day for creativity, and the next putting him in timeout and taking his toys away, both for drawing on the wall, is far more likely to cause behavioural problems than if drawing on the wall always gets him told that drawing on the wall is not allowed and a smack on the bottom.

Answer 4

It does. Beating kids no matter what the reason is affects their character, it will decrease their self-esteem, make them afraid of doing things which normal kids do, because they will be afraid of the result of their behavior. They will eventually become shy, unable to express their views & feelings infront of others (conditioning). It will cause major problems later in life.
We should aproach them in the way that they will understand it, explain to them how their behavior is wrong & reward them if they behave.

Answer 5

The statistics on physical child abuse are alarming. It is estimated hundreds of thousands of children are physically abused each year by a parent or close relative. Thousands die. For those who survive, the emotional trauma remains long after the external bruises have healed. Communities and the courts recognize that these emotional “hidden bruises” can be treated. Early recognition and treatment is important to minimize the long term effect of physical abuse. Whenever a child says he or she has been abused, it must be taken seriously and immediately evaluated.
Children who have been abused may display:
a poor self image
sexual acting out
inability to trust or love others
aggressive, disruptive, and sometimes illegal behavior
anger and rage
self destructive or self abusive behavior, suicidal thoughts
passive, withdrawn or clingy behavior
fear of entering into new relationships or activities
anxiety and fears
school problems or failure
feelings of sadness or other symptoms of depression
flashbacks, nightmares
drug and alcohol abuse
sleep problems
Often the severe emotional damage to abused children does not surface until adolescence or later, when many abused children become abusing parents. An adult who was abused as a child often has trouble establishing intimate personal relationships. These men and women may have trouble with physical closeness, touching, intimacy, and trust as adults. They are also at higher risk for anxiety, depression, substance abuse, medical illness, and problems at school or work. Without proper treatment, physically abused children can be damaged for life. Early identification and treatment is important to minimize the long-term consequences of abuse.

Answer 6

Later and present from what I have observed. There are so many better ways to teach our children beating them should never be a method to discipline.
Honestly how would you like it if your boss at work hit you every time you did something wrong?
Take a parenting class, read some books but learn some tools to deal with your frustrations before you take them out on a kid.

Answer 7

Discipline must be seen as a punishment. Lashing out at a kid when he is bad or has done something wrong is ill conceived.
It is better to send the kid to the bathroom, which also becomes the punishment room. That way the kid is not distracted by what is in his bedroom.

That enables the kid reflect on what he has done wrong, and gives you the chance to calm down so you don't use excessive force.
Normally a wait of 10 minutes is long enough.

I believe I turned out pretty well in life, with such discipine.

Read he/she.

Answer 8

If you're talking about the effect on the kid. He/she'll have anger building up in him/her and end up hating himself and his/her surroundings. It'll lower his/her self esteem & leave the kid thinking he/she's worthless & nothing to the world, especially to the ones the kid cares mostly about. He/she'll end up being rebellious & look as if the life has been taken out of `em. Also, when the kid grows, he'll end up saying stuff like, "Yeah, I didn't have such a great childhood, everyone hated me. Well, I didn't need any of them. I made it through myself, and look where I am now." Or, they could possibly end up on the streets. Well, this question actually depends on the kid's personality.

:)

Answer 9

beating kids is first and foremost soooooooo wrong, i understand that sometimes you want to beat the crap out of them but there is a difference in spanking and beating. most mental and behavorial paitents were beatin as a child, it causes love issues were they don't feel loved in most cases but this never hold 100% true but it can cause problems later in life

Answer 10

No one should ever beat a child. But I agree with the rest of your responders and say an occasional spanking teaches discipline.

Answer 11

Any kind of abuse inflicted on a child-physical, emotional, sexual-will make a big impact on their development and well being as children, and often carry over as problems in adult life.

Children who suffer abuse can be left with attachment disorders, low self esteem, learning disabilities, trust issues, and many other problems that impact on how well they can function in society later in life.
Children who are abused physically often suffer from what's called the "Fight or Flight" response, which puts their brains perpetually into a heightened state of fear. This creates too much stress for a child, and if the abuse is severe and frequent enough can lead to mental illness in late childhood or adulthood.

Hope that helps.