Punishment

Description of the Strategy

Parents, teachers, and others have used punishment throughout history to manage behavior. Nonetheless, in spite of its pervasive and historical legacy as a management method, no topic evokes a stronger visceral response and greater controversy than the use of punishment. Indeed, images of abuse and mistreatment are likely to occur, especially in the current era of positive behavioral supports and treatments. Notwithstanding these negative images, the strategy from the perspective of behavior modification and behavior therapy refers to any one of a number of systematically applied methods that are used to decelerate or eliminate behaviors that are judged to be inappropriate in a particular situation. Accordingly, any systematically applied consequence that reduces the future occurrence of a behavior that is a target for change is a punisher. That is, regardless of adults' notions and attitudes, consequences that fail to result in a reduction in the future probability of a response are technically not punishers.

Behavior reduction procedure may be a more preferred term than punishment, aversive method, and so forth because the professional strategy and its intended use are more clearly described. As noted, punishing consequences reduce the future probability of a behavior. In contrast, the term aversive method tends to be a more subjective and less scientific term. Stimuli or events that result in the perception or the occurrence of pain or discomfort or that produce attempts to escape or avoid specific situations or events are considered to be aversive. Thus, aversive stimuli could be electric shock, slaps, or application of distasteful substances or, for an individual subjected to a particular consequence, the withholding or withdrawing of desired items or privileges might be considered to be an aversive experience. A related term, corporal punishment, refers to striking another person with a hand, fist, or object. Corporal punishment is not considered to be an educationally or clinically acceptable method and is not included in this discussion about punishment.

Punishment strategies generally fall under one of two categories: (a) suspending, withholding, or taking away access to desired stimuli, events, or opportunities, contingent on specified unacceptable behavior, and [Page 1472](b) administering consequences that cause pain, discomfort, or avoidance responses, contingent on inappropriate behavior. Although not discussed here, behavior reduction options also include two additional strategies, (a) structuring or modifying environmental conditions or arrangements that may support or evoke particular undesirable behaviors and (b) reinforcing alternate appropriate responses or acceptable behaviors that are incompatible with a particular inappropriate response.

Suspending, withholding, or taking away access to desired stimuli, events, or opportunities, contingent on specified unacceptable behavior may take a variety of forms, including response cost and time-out. Response cost methods involve the removal of a person's access to positive reinforcers or desired events, contingent on display of specific unacceptable behaviors. For instance, teachers may withdraw points, free time, or privileges for students who engage in certain behaviors, and parents may deny access to cars and computers for violating specified rules. Response cost programs are widely used. Indeed, traffic regulations, tax laws, and so forth are enforced via reliance on response cost. Response cost generally has been found to be effective, especially when used in combination with programs that reinforce desired behavior or that are incompatible with an unacceptable response. Relatively few undesired side effects have been reported in the literature related to the use of response cost strategies, especially when used in combination with token economy and other reinforcement programs. Nonetheless, as is the case with other behavior reduction strategies, response cost programs may be associated with increases in unacceptable behavior, as well as with avoidance and escape behaviors.

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