Grounding (punishment)
Encyclopedia
Grounding is a form of punishment
given to child
ren, preadolescents or adolescent
s by their parents (or teachers or headmasters in a school
setting) for misbehavior.
Typically, a young person who is grounded is forbidden from leaving home or his/her room except to attend required activities such as meals, school, church, work, music practice, etc. It might be combined with the withdrawal of privileges such as the use of television, telephone, computer, Internet, etc. Some groundings can last from as short as a day to as long as a year, while some last an indefinite amount of time. The uncertainty makes it difficult for the person to cope, which in some cases can make the punishment more effective. For some children and teenagers, grounding can backfire, encouraging misbehavior in the form of rebellion
against their parents. Grounding can be a punishment that substitutes spanking or time-outs, as those punishments are designed more for younger children, usually aged 2- 10.
Punishment
Punishment is the authoritative imposition of something negative or unpleasant on a person or animal in response to behavior deemed wrong by an individual or group....
given to child
Child
Biologically, a child is generally a human between the stages of birth and puberty. Some vernacular definitions of a child include the fetus, as being an unborn child. The legal definition of "child" generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger than the age of majority...
ren, preadolescents or adolescent
Adolescence
Adolescence is a transitional stage of physical and mental human development generally occurring between puberty and legal adulthood , but largely characterized as beginning and ending with the teenage stage...
s by their parents (or teachers or headmasters in a school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
setting) for misbehavior.
Typically, a young person who is grounded is forbidden from leaving home or his/her room except to attend required activities such as meals, school, church, work, music practice, etc. It might be combined with the withdrawal of privileges such as the use of television, telephone, computer, Internet, etc. Some groundings can last from as short as a day to as long as a year, while some last an indefinite amount of time. The uncertainty makes it difficult for the person to cope, which in some cases can make the punishment more effective. For some children and teenagers, grounding can backfire, encouraging misbehavior in the form of rebellion
Teenage rebellion
As part of their development into young adults, humans must develop an identity independent from their parents or family and a capacity for independent decision-making. They may experiment with different roles, behaviours, and ideologies as part of their process of developing an identity...
against their parents. Grounding can be a punishment that substitutes spanking or time-outs, as those punishments are designed more for younger children, usually aged 2- 10.
See also
- Child disciplineChild disciplineChild discipline is the set of rules, rewards and punishments administered to teach self control, increase desirable behaviors and decrease undesirable behaviors in children. In its most general sense, discipline refers to systematic instruction given to a disciple. To discipline thus means to...
- House arrestHouse arrestIn justice and law, house arrest is a measure by which a person is confined by the authorities to his or her residence. Travel is usually restricted, if allowed at all...
- Parenting stylesParenting stylesA parenting style is a psychological construct representing standard strategies that parents use in their child rearing. There are many differing theories and opinions on the best ways to rear children, as well as differing levels of time and effort that parents are willing to invest.Many parents...