C10 Test 1
It is important for children to learn the difference between right and wrong at an
early
age.
Punishment
is
necessary
to
help
them
learn
this
distinction.
To
what
extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion? What sort of punishment should
parents and teachers be allowed to use to teach good behavior to children?
One
important
stage
in
a
child’s
growth
is
certainly
the
development
of
a
conscience, which is linked to the ability to tell right from wrong. This
skill comes
with
time
and
good
parenting,
and
my
firm
conviction
is
that
punishment
does
not
have much of a role to play in this. Therefore I have to disagree almost entirely with
the given statement.
To some extent the question depends on the age of the child. To punish a very
young
child
is
both
wrong
and
foolish,
as
an
infant
will
not
understand
what
is
happening
or
why
he
or
she
is
being
punished.
Once
the
age
of
reason
is
reached
however, a child can be rewarded for good behavior and discouraged from bad. This
kind but firm approach will achieve more than harsh punishments, which might entail
many negative consequences unintended by the parents.
To
help
a
child
learn
the
difference
between
right
and
wrong,
teachers
and
parents should firstly provide good role modeling in their own behavior. After that, if
sanctions
are
needed,
the
punishment
should
not
be
of
a
physical
nature,
as
that
merely sends the message that it is acceptable for larger people to hit smaller ones - an
outcome which may well result in the child starting to bully others. Nor should the
punishment be in any way cruel.
Rather,
teachers
and
parents
can
use
a
variety
of
methods
to
discipline
their
young charges, such as detention, withdrawal of privileges, and time-out. Making the
punishment fit the crime is a useful notion, which would see children being made to
pick up rubbish they have dropped, clean up graffiti they have drawn, or apologize to
someone they have hurt. In these ways responsibility is developed in the child, which
leads to much better future behavior than does punishment.