User blog comment:Anonymous ONI agent/Kids & Halo/@comment--20100619004125

Thus corporal punishment. If you want the child to stop something, what can you do? If verbally telling them does not work, then why not give them a smack.

Pain is interpreted as a 'cease and desist' of sorts, teaching the child not to do that. Discipline is a learned behavior, as per Matt.

And see some of Pavlov's work. Rather intriguing, really.