Absolute Worst Consequences of Negative Punishment

What is Negative Punishment

Negative punishment is what many parents use as a form of discipline to decrease unwanted behavior within children.

When using this kind of punishment with children, you are taking something good or desirable away from your child when a particular behavior occurs.

An excellent way to remember this concept is to realize that positive means adding while negative means taking away. 

Many believe that this form of discipline works well, and they continue to practice it in their homes today.

I believe that this practice is “the old way of thinking” and is ineffective. But don’t take my word for it, I did some research to back up my thinking.

See also: Negative Language Harms Children – How Can We Improve Our Communication With Children?

The idea of operant conditioning was established by American psychologist B.F. Skinner, who argued that a person’s or animal’s behavior could be enhanced or diminished by adding or removing suitable stimuli after the behavior was displayed.

Classical conditioning differs from operant conditioning in that it influences unconscious behavior whereas operant conditioning impacts conscious behavior.

See also: How I Discipline Ungrateful Children

Punishment attempts to diminish a behavior, and reinforcement aims to promote it. Punishment or reinforcement can have either a good or bad connotation. Positive and negative show whether something is being added (positive) or taken away (negative).

Positive and negative punishment are the two forms of punishment. Positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement are the two forms of reinforcement.

See also: The Absolute Worst Problem With Strict Parenting

Examples Of Negative Punishment

I bet you’ve heard these standard parenting practices, but did you ever realize they might be harmful?

Things like losing toys, losing rewards, and not being allowed to see friends are all examples of negative punishment.

Each of those scenarios includes something good being taken away from the child.

Examples of Negative Punishment in practice

1. Yelling at a child when they did something wrong
2. Forcing an unpleasant task on the child when they’ve misbehaved
3. Taking away toys when toys weren’t played with nicely
4. Not allowing playdates because something happened one time on a playdate
5. Not being able to play outside because the child had an attitude

See also: Most Shocking Challenges Negative Reinforcement Brings

Effectiveness of Negative Punishment

When the following requirements are satisfied, negative punishment can be highly effective: contingency, continuity, and consistency.

Contingency

The term “contingency” refers to the fact that the penalty is conditional on the behavior. If the punishment is administered anytime the desired behavior emerges, the penalty is contingent on the occurrence of the undesirable behavior. It is less likely to work if the stimulus is removed whether the act shows or not, or before the action begins.

Contiguity

The immediacy of the behavior and the elimination of the stimulus is referred to as contiguity. The inhibition of behavior will be less effective if punishment is delayed. The connection is reduced when there is a substantial interval between the behavior and the removal of the stimulus. Furthermore, additional behaviors may emerge in the interim, and this behavior could be incorrectly identified as the one being repressed.

Consistency

Negative punishment must be applied consistently for it to be effective. Consider the possibility of speeding. Despite the risk of obtaining a traffic ticket, many continue to speed despite the fact that they do not always receive one. They are only penalized if they are caught, which is why it is ineffective in this situation.

Effects Of Negative Punishment On Children

Negative punishment has the drawback of only working as long as the stimulus is continuously withdrawn. However, after the punishment has ended, the unwanted behavior is likely to return. Another disadvantage is that, while it can stop unwanted behavior, it does not offer information about the intended activity.

Here’s an example of the unexpected consequences of negative punishment. When a student misbehaves in class, the teacher deducts the student’s token gold star. This consequence may serve as a deterrent to the behavior. However, if a kid is misbehaving due to anxiety or hyperactivity, the punishment does not teach the child how to cope with the problem in a different way.

Using Positive Punishment with Children

Positive reinforcement is the opposite of negative punishment and is very common when using authoritarian parenting practice.

Examples of Positive Reinforcement in Practice

1. A Mom gives her son a hug and praise (reinforcing stimulus) for doing chores without whining (behavior).
2. A child gets an ice lolly for finishing dinner
3. A child receives a new toy (reinforcing stimulus) for being a sweet big sister
4. A mother allows her son to go to the park without supervision for completing all the school work
5. Removing a specific responsibility off of the children’s plate when the child has done an excellent job on another task
6. Allowing natural consequences to occur

Problems with Negative Punishment

A huge problem with negative punishment is that it is soul-crushing to your child.

Taking away something they love because they were a little bit naughty is not the best way to handle the behavior.

The right way of handling naughty behavior is to talk to the child and explain why that behavior is not correct.

But when you take something away from your child for naughty behavior, they often won’t get an explanation, and they won’t understand why their toy was taken away.

If the child does not understand why they are being punished, then the punishment is moot.

Another issue with negative punishment is that it is hard to stay consistent for parents.

If children are allowed to “get away” with a particular behavior many times, but one time they get punished for it, then the child is very likely to repeat that offence.

For example, if your child likes to sneak snacks out of the pantry during the day and you don’t really like that behavior, but you allow it some days because you’re tired and you’ve heard “I’m hungry” enough times that day.

However, if on other days you enforce your rule of no pantry snacks during the day, the child will be perplexed as to why some days snacks are ok, and other days they are not.

This inconsistency is ineffective, thus making the positive punishment moot.

Positive Punishment: Is It For You?

So now you know some examples and effects of negative punishment.

Do you think you’ll be using it in your home? Do you believe that negative punishment works?

Need More On Harsh Discipline?

• Negative Effects Of Beating Children
• How Fear Conditioning In Childhood Affects Children Later In Life
• Does Too Much Harsh Disciplining Cause Suffering?
• The Absolute Worst Problem With Strict Parenting
• Most Shocking Challenges Negative Reinforcement Brings
• Absolute Worst Consequences Of Negative Punishment

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“GENTLE PARENTING IS A LIFESTYLE THAT EMBRACES BOTH YOUR PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL BEHAVIOR, NOT ONLY TOWARDS YOUR CHILDREN, BUT TO YOURSELF TOO“

— SARA HOCKWELL-SMITH

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