A Bastard Out Of Carolina Analysis

Violence throughout the world is a major problem. Men, women, and children are victimized by violence every day. Ending the cycle of violence can start by properly teaching and demonstrating nonviolent forms of disciplining youth in school and at home. By practicing nonviolent forms of discipline children are less likely to grow up using violence to solve day to day problems. Children who receive violent acts of discipline have a higher risk of engaging in antisocial behavior, responding to conflict with aggression, poor academic achievement, deteriorating trust between child and adult, and turning to crime. The novel A Bastard out of Carolina paint’s a vicious yet eye opening point of view from a young girl who suffered from severe physical and sexual abuse. This novel and 5 articles The Predictors of Parental Use of Corporal Punishment, Explaining Corporal Punishment of Children: A Cross-Cultural Study, Corporal Punishment and Externalizing Behaviors in Toddlers: The Moderating Role of Positive and Harsh Parenting, Corporal Punishment Has no Place in the United States, Corporal Punishment is necessary for Discipline and Safety examine the effects of Corporal punishment both short and long term. Using corporal punishment in schools and at home is the incorrect way to control and discipline children. Corporal Punishment is ““the use of physical force with the intention of causing a child to experience pain, but not injury, for the purpose of correcting or controlling a child’s behavior”” (Smith, 2). Many states in America have completely banned the use of corporal punishment in schools. However several states still allow forms of corporal punishment in school their districts. Corporal punishment has been practiced in schools since the American Revolution. The Supreme Court upheld the right to use corporal punishment in schools in the late 1970s. The common argument supporting the use of corporal punishment in schools suggest corporal punishment is necessary to “manage student misbehavior and prevent small infractions from escalating into more serious threats” (Lee, 1). It argues school should be a safe environment, but violent crimes happen at schools frequently and corporal punishment is an effective way to keep schools safe. “Today, corporal punishment of adults has no lawful application in the United States” (Ballaro, 1). If corporal punishment isn’t a suitable, lawful practice on adults why do we allow it to be used on children? The argument that corporal punishment infringes on individual human rights and public health is widely accepted. In 1977 Ingraham v. Wright, Florida junior high school students were physically punished to the point one was hospitalized. The suit claimed corporal punishment was cruel and unusual punishment violating ones eighth amendment rights. It also included claims of violating the fourteenth amendment rights, that due process was necessary before the administering corporal punishment. The court rejected the suits eighth amendment violation, but agreed the severity of the punishment violated the fourteenth amendment right of due process and concluded that “teachers could use reasonable but not excessive corporal punishment to discipline students” (Gale …show more content…
The girls step father, Glen, began physically abusing her at a young age which, eventually evolved into sexual abuse. “I was ashamed of myself for the things I thought about when I put my hands between my legs, more ashamed for masturbating to the fantasy of being beaten than for being beaten in the first place” (Allison, 112). Bone started fantasizing of being beaten on a regular basis after Glens abuse started. Bone also begins stealing and develops violent thoughts towards others. “If he reached for me again, I decided, I’d bite him” (Allison, 96). After stealing Tootsie Rolls from a local store bones mother brings her back to apologies to the store owner. When Bone is not happy with the way the store owner reacts to the news his store has been robbed, Bone has violent thoughts of aggression towards the owner. These violent thoughts are the result of Glens own violent tendencies to solve is own problems especially with Bone. The effects displayed by the girl are very similar to the effects many have linked to corporal punishment. The little girl imagines intense thoughts of violence and displays extreme examples of antisocial behavior. If child sexual and physical abuse have similar side effects as corporal punishment is easy to conclude corporal punishment is not a suitable means of