This essay will examine whether punishment is believed to be effective and whether it is currently believed to work, furthermore it will examine the best ways to change a child's behavior. child in terms of positive and negative. reinforcements. The issue of punishing children has received considerable critical attention in many cultures. Punishment of children can be considered a very controversial area. It is argued that many people were raised with particular beliefs about punishing a child. Many researchers say that a child's education is the key to how they will treat their own children in the future. This can certainly be considered a negative effect of corporal punishment. It is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the effects that harsh sanctions can have on a child. The subsequent convictions for violence and the evidence of the harmful effects of corporal punishment on children's well-being are overwhelming. However, it is not certain that corporal punishment is truly harmful. There is also sufficient evidence to show that corporal punishment is an effective form of discipline, if used appropriately. Corporal punishment is thought to help parents maintain control over their children's behavior. This essay will examine different forms of punishment, such as corporal punishment, and whether they are considered effective. This essay will also look at effective ways to change a child's behavior, including the use of classical and operant conditioning and studies that support the theories and how they can be applied to real life. Classical conditioning uses, for example, learning by association; memory encourages the person to associate an object/sound with a certain behavior. ...... middle of article...... National Review of Victimology, vol.12, no.2, p.159-187.Tully, T (2003) 'pavlovs dogs', Current Biology, flight. 14, number 4, p. R117–R119.Turner, H and Muller, P (2004) “Long-term effects of child corporal punishment on depressive symptoms in young adults: potential moderators and mediators”, Journal of Family Issues, vol.25, no. 6, p. 761-782Watkinson, A & Rock, L (2014) 'Corporal punishment of children and international human rights: implications for social work education', International Social Work, 1-13. Winstok, Z (2013) “Israeli mothers' willingness to use corporal punishment to correct their primary school children's misbehavior”, Journal of Interpersonal Violence, vol.29, no.1, p.44-65. Wyckoff, J and Unell, BC (2010) Discipline without yelling or spanking: practical solutions to the most common preschool behavior problems. New York: Meadowbrook Press.