Grounding is a general discipline technique in the United States, Canada, and other countries, which restricts children at home from going out or pursuing their favorite activities, except for any obligations. During this period, any positive reinforcement is taken away and other privileges, such as but not limited to using the Internet, playing video games, watching television, listening to music, or using the telephone are often revoked. A common use of grounding is room restriction, where children are confined to their bedrooms except for obligations.
Grounding is used as an alternative to physical discipline, e.g., spanking, for behavior management in the home.[1][2] According to a 2000 review on child outcomes, "Grounding has been replicated as a more effective disciplinary alternative than spanking with teenagers with challenging behavior."[1] Grounding can backfire if the type and duration of restrictions are disproportionately severe for the behavior meant to be corrected, or if the restrictions are too difficult for the parent to enforce due to resistance.[3][4]
Origin
This term was used initially in aviation: when a pilot is prevented from flying an aircraft due to misconduct, illness, technical issues with the aircraft, or other reasons, the pilot is "grounded" – that is, literally confined to the ground.[5]
In popular culture
A category of YouTube videos created on the platform Vyond (formally known as GoAnimate), which depict children’s cartoon characters such as Caillou or Dora the Explorer behaving badly and being grounded by their parents,[6][7][8] has become a popular internet meme.[6]