

Positive punishment can be effective when it immediately follows the unwanted behavior. The same thing can be observed happening among siblings.

Witness the toddler who ends a tantrum only when demands are met. Most children instinctively understand the concept of positive punishment. For the child who frequently misbehaves, adding additional house rules might be incentive to change a behavior. A child who scribbles on the wall or smears peanut butter all over the table might be forced to clean it up or perform other household tasks. Many parents add chores as a form of punishment. The child is obligated to write the same sentence over and over, or write an essay about their behavior. You might forcefully grab or pull a child who’s about to run into traffic. You might lightly slap the hand of a child reaching for a pot of boiling water on the stove, or who’s pulling their sibling’s hair. This may instinctively happen in the moment. Being reprimanded or lectured is something many children would like to avoid. With that in mind, here are some examples of common positive punishments: “What’s aversive for one might not be aversive for all.” “Positive punishment is based on what’s aversive,” says Elizabeth Rossiaky, BCBA, clinic director at Westside Children’s Therapy in Frankfurt, Illinois. Punishment should be tailored to the child. When choosing a punishment, think about punishing the behavior, not the child. Just as you would, a child might be inclined to alter their behavior to avoid the consequence. On the other hand, they serve as valuable teaching moments. These experiences are unpleasant at best. If they touch a hot stove, they’ll burn their hand. Positive punishment can simply be a natural consequence of a certain action.įor example, if your child eats whipped cream that has spoiled because they hid it under their bed, they’ll get a stomachache.
