What are some disadvantages of punishment?

Answer 1

It can elicit aggressive or other emotional side effects. It may result in the person being punished using escape or avoidance behaviours. It can be negatively reinforcing for the person using punishment resulting in overuse or misuse. Those observing punishment taking place are more likely to use punishment in the future. In particular consider children, their observational skills play a major role in their development of appropriate and inappropriate behaviour, therefore if they observe aggressive behaviour they are more likely to engage in this behaviour themselves eg spanking. Punishment also raises serious ethical issues.I hope this helps!

Answer 2

Punishing people (for whatever reason) does not necessarily make them better people and does not necessarily convince them that they had done something wrong; sometimes it just creates resentment.