ABSTRACT
Corporal punishment has many consequences; the irony is that most of these consequences are the opposite of what parents think they are achieving. Corporal punishment of children is permitted in every state of the United States; and friends and relatives expect parents to use corporal punishment if a child persistently misbehaves. Corporal punishment has an important effect on the well-being of children, the family, and the whole society. The universal and chronic use of corporal punishment and its potentially harmful effects on children is the best-kept secret of American child psychology. It is almost as though there were a conspiracy of silence among those who do research on children or write about child rearing. Many of those advocating corporal punishment also believe that the family is in jeopardy and society is in ruin because of permissiveness in bringing up children. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
