Coercion: A cry for help that calls for empathy

“Coercion is not the root of all evil, but until we adopt other than coercive ways to control each other’s conduct, no method of physically improving our species will keep our survival timer from running out. A developing science of behavior may again give people of good will cause for optimism about our chances for survival.” – Dr Murray Sidman, Coercion and Its Fallout

Over the years, I’ve witnessed corporal punishment in various forms and environments. As a social worker, I worked with individuals who were the victims of corporal punishment, and with individuals who inflicted corporal punishment on others. As a dog trainer, I see examples of corporal punishment toward dogs on an almost daily basis.

Using pain, fear and intimidation as a means to modify behavior is contentious topic, isn’t new, and isn’t one that that’s going to be solved by one blog post. The more I work…