Coercion and Punishment in Long-Term Perspectives

Children must learn to act appropriately, in ways that differ from society to society and from context to context. The question of how best to socialize children so that they can function successfully has fascinated educators and psychologists for centuries. In a world in which children exhibit levels of violence that are strikingly un-childlike, the question of how to bring children up takes on an immediacy for parents and psychologists. Does physical punishment prevent further outbreaks of violent behaviour? Are there ways of influencing children so that punishment will not be necessary? Drawing upon rich, longitudinal data, the contributors to this volume examine the benefits and costs of coercion and punishment, considering such issues as mental health, antisocial and criminal behaviour, substance abuse, and issues related to measurement and prediction. They look at coercion among peers, aggressive behavior in boys and girls, different parenting styles and effects of home context. The volume draws together evidence about coercion and punishment that have appeared in disparate literatures, and it raises questions about easy assumptions regarding them. It will be a useful tool for psychologists, criminologists, social workers, child-care workers, and educators.