The Problem With Punishment

Punishment is the most misunderstood and misused procedure in society management of others' behaviours.  We are a society that tends to gravitate towards 'punishing' other's wrong-doings (e.g., jail, demerit point system, being sent to the principal's office).  Its misuse is a source of frustration for me because when 'punishment' fails, people are quick to associate behaviourist theory as "wrong"..."behaviour modification doesn't work" etc.  The problem with 'punishment' however, is that people think they're applying punishment, but often they are not.  For this reason, I put the word, 'punishment' in quotations.  Technically, punishment by definition is a consequence that decreases the occurrence of a behaviour.  It can be the addition of something unpleasant or the removal of something pleasurable.

If it does not decrease a behaviour, it is not punishment.

Imagine a child about to touch a hot stove and their parent slaps their hand away.  Assuming that slaps on the hand are unpleasant, then the child is less likely to try touching the stove again.  In this example, the slap occurred immediately following the behaviour.   Herein lies one misuse of 'punishment': its timing.  If there has been some time between the behaviour and the 'punishing' consequence, then you have not punished the intended behaviour.  The behaviour will probably continue and it will seem like 'punishment' isn't working.  It simply wasn't punishment to begin with.  When we invest all our energies into "getting back at" someone or when we "...make them accountable for what they did" after the fact, we've essentialy had no effect on their behaviour(s).  We've missed the boat.  It's likely that the behaviour in question was already reinforced and therefore, is more likely to occur again.

This week in Ontario, the details of (the former Colonel) Russell William's crimes were made public.  The crimes were horrific.  Many people were calling for him to be punished for what he did.  Others still felt his jail sentence was not punishment enough.  In society's misguided need for punishment, we've failed to see that jail is not a punishment.  It's been months since his crimes and unfortunately, he has already received reinforcement for doing them (his own sick pleasure).  We cannot undo that effect, and so I believe that given the opportunity to engage in the same behaviours again, he will.  Jail for now will serve as a means to eliminate or reduce those opportunities.  I am not saying that Russell Williams should not be sentenced or placed in jail.  The man needs to stay far, far away from the public.  But let's just call jail what it is: a means to keep criminals away from the public and to reduce opportunities to engage in like criminal behaviour (but given what we know happens in prisons, this may not be applicable to all cases).  If society really wants to rehabilitate criminals, sitting in a jail cell to "think about what they did" is moot.  Determining the contingencies that surrounded the occurrences (and non-occurrences) of the target behaviour is the first step towards behaviour change.    

I hope people think more about their supposed delivery of 'punishment' and determine if what they're doing really is punishment at all.  It might cause less frustration knowing you're applying principles of behaviour correctly.  Maybe we can try looking for reinforcement or extinction instead.