Severe punishment used as the exclusive method of discipline on a regular basis can result in undesirable and even damaging consequences. Punishment often has little or no effect on the misbehavior, and takes the responsibility for the misbehavior away from the child. Children need to be accountable for their own behavior in order to learn the inner control necessary to function as healthy, self-disciplined individuals. A child who is punished with spankings, shouts, and threats may learn how to avoid these punishments simply by not misbehaving in that particular way within sight of the person who punishes. There is no guarantee, however, that the child's behavior will be changed over time or when she is away from the person who punishes her.
Severe punishment can also arouse feelings of resentment, counter-aggression, and deep humiliation.
A child may develop unfeeling attitudes toward another person's pain. Severe punishment also increases the possibility of incidents of abuse, as it becomes more difficult for a parent to judge the severity of the punishment. Contrary to what some may believe, intense punishment does not have a more lasting effect on behavior. In fact, it can create a level of emotion in the child that interferes with learning and slows down the child's ability to control undesirable behaviors. This is true whether the punishment is physical or psychological in nature.