Would You Want a Teacher Giving Your Child a Time-Out?

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Would You Want a Teacher Giving Your Child a Time-Out?

By: Olivia Wood


Many parents and guardians think of time-out at school as something akin to sitting in the corner with a dunce cap. A time-out in front of the class can feel like a form of public shaming, especially in regards to our own children. However, when used correctly, this intervention can have a positive impact on behavior.

A time-out, in psychology terms, is a form of negative punishment. This term may sound like an extreme form of discipline, but it really means that something is being taken away after an individual has an undesired response to lessen that response in the future. Time-outs specifically remove children from positive reinforcers–desired events and items–after they exhibit a problematic behavior to discourage future occurrences of that behavior (Honey, Symbaluk, & Powell, 2016).


Of course, like any behavioral intervention, time-outs must be used correctly. This form of behavior management is most effective when used in conjunction with positive reinforcements, aka praise or small rewards for good behaviors (Kearney, n.d.). By removing children from a situation in which they are putting out undesired behaviors, they are deprived of reinforcements and often forced to think about the reason why they must be removed. This fosters an environment in which children are given the opportunity to recognize their mistakes and hopefully fix them, noticing that they get positive attention when they perform desired behaviors.


So, do you think time-outs have a place in schools? I’m sure we all have differing opinions about time, place, and frequency of this behavior intervention.


Increasing amounts of elementary classrooms even have special areas dedicated to giving a space for children to take a break, though, depending on the child, these can become their own form of positive reinforcement for behaviors that get them sent to this area.


References

Honey, P. L., Symbaluk, D. G., & Powell, R. A. (2016). Introduction to Learning and Behavior (5th ed.). Cengage Learning.

Kearney, E. (n.d.). Expert Columns: Weighing the Pros and Cons of “Time Out”. May Institute. Retrieved June 29, 2025, from https://www.mayinstitute.org/news/acl/asd-and-dd-child-focused/weighing-the-pros-and-cons-of-time-out/

Comments

  1. Lex ZangJune 29, 2025 at 7:57 PM

    I actually really liked this post! I never thought about time-outs as being a type of negative punishment, but it totally makes sense when you break it down that way. I agree that it depends on how they’re used—like, if it’s just to shame a kid, that’s obviously not okay. But if it’s done with kindness and followed by positive reinforcement, it can actually help kids learn what’s expected of them. The part about some kids liking the break spot and using it as a reward was interesting too—I’ve definitely seen that happen!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Zachary HelthJune 29, 2025 at 10:35 PM

    I really like how you cleared up the misconception surrounding time-out as an extreme punishment. Growing up, I always assumed time-out was represented by being removed from the environment itself when it reality time-out simply was a form of negative punishment that took you away from a reinforcer!

    ReplyDelete

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