Grounding (punishment)

Grounding is a common discipline technique used with mainly teenagers, in which the child or teen, or adult is not allowed to leave their home or bedroom except for required activities such as school (unless the child is suspended or expelled from school), church, meals, chores, or doctor and dentist appointments.

Other possible consequences can also include removing positive reinforcements, privileges and freedom such as playing video games, watching TV, fast food, junk food, computers/iPads/tablets/mobile devices, Internet (except for homework), having friends over, and sometimes sporting events, proms, slumber party or other extracurricular activities from the child, teen, or adult's environment.

House arrest can also be part of the punishment.

Grounding has been suggested as an alternative to physical discipline or spanking for behavior management in the home. According to a 2000 review on child outcomes, "Grounding has been replicated as a more effective disciplinary alternative than spanking with teenagers."

Grounding can backfire if the type and duration of restrictions are too severe relative to the behavior meant to be corrected or if the restrictions are too difficult for the parent to enforce.

References to grounding are common in popular culture, including TV shows and films. Animating websites and programs, such as GoAnimate and Plotagon, are also involved in grounding.

Grounding falls under the category of Operant Conditioning which was created by BF Skinner,  “B.F. Skinner (1938) coined the term operant conditioning; it means roughly changing of behavior by the use of reinforcement which is given after the desired response.”(7). It is a type of learning that is learned from reinforcers and punishments. When using reinforcements to get an expected response, the reinforcer uses the environment to get that expected response, using either positive reinforcement or negative reinforcement. Listed in the second paragraph are examples of positive reinforcement. Something that the teenager or child wants and is given when they behave correctly. When the individual is grounded they often times get their positive reinforcement taken away. During the grounding stage some individuals like to do “favors” and “suck up” to the parents to get ungrounded. They perform what is called negative reinforcement - strengthening a good behavior to avoid a bad consequence. The individual learns that by doing negative reinforcers that they can be rewarded by being ungrounded or given a little leverage. It can also be described by the child learning through negative reinforcement that if they clean the kitchen, do the dishes or other tasks they will not receive the consequence of being grounded. (8)

BF Skinner also devised the concept of positive and negative punishments. Positive punishment involves doing something bad and receiving a bad consequence. This is what grounding is. The teenager or child did something bad, therefore they are grounded and unable to have a good time outside or inside the house.(9)Negative punishment involves someone having a positive stimuli that they enjoy, but do something bad and get that positive stimuli taken away from them. Parents use this in grounding as well. Parents often times take away television, video games, or car privileges when a child or teenager misbehaves. (10).

The desired result is that the child or teenager learns to avoid things that would get them in trouble or hurt, or to do specific tasks that they were instructed to do. By being grounded for negative behavior, the child (possibly) learns that they have to behave a certain why for them to either not get grounded in the first place, or to be ungrounded. The main focus of parents who ground is to teach their children skills and behaviors that are appropriate to keep them safe, happy, and healthy.