Discipline

I personally believe that different punishments affect people in different ways and that there is not a "one-size-fits-all" solution. People have different personalities, different thought processes and ideas, and they have different reasons behind committing punishable behaviors. Rather than the severity of the punishment, one must understand the severity of the offender's mental state and the impact different punishments would have on the individual. For someone who is already hardened, perhaps an extreme punishment is necessary. Perhaps those who are less brazen and commit a punishable act sheepishly are more receptive to lighter punishments- they do not need much to get back into line. 

I think the most important thing for getting the relationship to function productively is an analysis of the individual. 

Some actions demand extreme punishments. For example, I personally believe if someone commits a heinous and unprecedented crime, for example a homicide or a violent robbery or a rape, they deserve an extreme punishment. Even if a lighter punishment may have a greater effect on rehabilitating the individual, the only justice is if they receive a very extreme punishment. In these cases the idea of a punishment being justice more than "working" on the individual should be emphasized. Many criminals understand the potential risks they undertake before committing a crime, the consequences they may face if caught. Because they had this knowledge, it would be hard to justify giving them a lighter punishment than what would be expected. 

I think one main point of importance is that the specific punishment should be understood by the offender. Punishment for punishment's sake is not as effective as the individual knowing what they did was wrong and that they deserve the punishment. 

During my high school trip to Model UN, we had one member bring a large handle of vodka to his room, to share with classmates later on. One of the chaperones heard about it and decided to call the police on him because he thought there might have been drugs too. There was a huge scene with police, much more than was warranted. The student was interrogated by the police, all his bags searched, and the principal of our school drove more than two hours in the middle of the night to come to the hotel we were all staying at. At the end of the night, all that the kid had was one big handle of vodka, and nothing else. But the involvement with the police meant that all the school administration was involved and the student's parents had to come pick him up. When we went back into school on Monday, all of us were brought into the headmaster's office individually and we were questioned about whether there were drugs, and where that student got the bottle of alcohol. This student was extremely fearful for the next couple of weeks because he was on very thin ice with the administration as they brought him into the office almost every day. In the end, there was no concrete punishment dealt out to him. We went to a small private school, and the headmaster knew each student individually. I think he believed that the great amount of trouble that was brought to this student was not proportionate to him possessing the one bottle of alcohol underage. Doling out another punishment would make him resentful, whereas in his already scared state he would probably be very grateful to get off without any more punishment. There was no question he understood that him bringing that bottle of alcohol was in no way worth it and not something he would do in the future. Our school was small, and I knew the student well, and I talked to him after the whole thing blew over. He had a much greater level of respect for our headmaster after this because in a way, he had "spared" him. I believe that this punishment was indeed very effective, and I probably would not have changed a thing.