American homes during the colonial days already practiced the harsh punishment for children. Inconsiderate discipline and physical punishment were normally accomplished for the purpose of instructing children. To drive the devil out from their child, they spank them. For many centuries, even with regards to education, maltreatment is done (Holden, 1997). Birch rod, whippings, and other bodily assaults were commonly used to punish children for behavioral and scholastic infractions (Arias 1962).

Corporal punishment is one method done by adult to restraint children. In this way, children are inflicted pain in response to child’s undesirable behavior and or speaking of inappropriate language. By doing this, adults often believe that they are enabling the child to know the proper manners and be prevented in doing again the wrong things they have done. The use of hand, paddles, belts or any other objects that can be a source

Displacement has been considered one of the usual reasons of parents’ harsh beating to their children. This is the process of transferring one’s anger and sentiments from another threatening person to someone who is easier to throw in furies (Freud, 1965). The frustrations and hostility of parents usually came from economic situations like not earning enough money to provide food and shelter for their children. By doing harsh punishments to children, they are enabling to displace their anger and frustrations with them (Arnold, 1982; Sharpe, 1997). Those parent who has experienced lesser difficulty in life seems to have moderate punishment prepared for their children, their usual punishment are not violent such punishments are time-out, withholding privileges or the most common one, grounding children and the number of days depend on the weight of the fault. Although, cultural values and beliefs of a person still contributes to how parents perceive to how children should be raised (Barrow, 1996, Evans & Davies, 1997).

In Jamaica they have been used to discipline their children in an authoritarian way which is learned that it prevents the child from socioemotional consequences in Western cultures (Baumrind, 1991). Parenting in Jamaica has always been considered as oppressive, unsympathetic and obnoxious (Arnold, 1982; Leo-Rhynie, 1997; Sharpe, 1997) which sometimes causes inappropriate disciplining to children (Sloley, 1999). With this, the Jamaican family’s sparse literature method expresses the occurrence of corporal punishment and other violent disciplinary ways that’s been done to children by adults (Phillips 1973; Evans Davies, 1997; Walker, Grantham-McGregor, Himes, Williams, & Duff, 1998). Hand, stick, belt, shoe or tamarind are used to beat children in Jamaica for disciplining which may seem almost brutal in punishing children just to make sure they are being obeyed (Leo-Rhynie, 1997, p. 44). Discipline becomes ruthlessly done through shouting and flogging or beating. Children are usually punished when they lie, steal, disobey and not completing their chores. Playing in the house, crying too much and not eating the meal provided is also subject to beating (Barrow, 1996, p. 400).

Some topics in this essay:
Gelles Steinmetz, Medical Association, Williams Duff, Eisenberg Fabes, Gunnoe Mariner, Howe2001 Displacement, Fifth Amendment's, Covell Howe, Criminal Code, Andero Stewart, corporal punishment, physical punishment, benatar 1998, gelles steinmetz 1980, steinmetz 1980, gelles steinmetz, home school, straus gelles, physical abuse, punishment children, straus gelles steinmetz, evans davies 1997, civil liberties, corporal punishment allowed, corporal punishment school,