A tazer should never be used as a form of discipline. When a tazer is used by a police officer, it is meant to be used as a safety measure, not discipline. The definition of a tazer, per Wikipedia, is “A Tazer is an electrical weapon that uses neuromuscular incapacitation”. If a tazer is a weapon, then believing it is acceptable to use a tazer as a form of discipline means that one believes it is acceptable to use a weapon as a form of discipline.
Tazers were developed to allow police officer’s a non-lethal form of subduing a dangerous subject. This was meant as an alternative to a club or gun, which could be lethal. Tazers work by ejecting 2 electrodes that comect and produce an electrical current to the subject. This action interrupts the ability of the brain to control the muscles in the body, thus producing incapacitation. The subject involuntarily loses muscle control and collapses physically. This response is involuntary and can not be stopped unless electrodes are removed or electrical current is stopped. Once the electricity flow stops, there is an immediate response of return of control over one’s body. Due to the involuntary physiological response, most subjects will comply after an initial taze. This has been proven as an effective way of detaining a dangerous subject.
Tazers were not developed for a police officer or any person to use as a form of discipline. Police officers are to have just cause to deem a subject dangerous and use as a form of subduing a subject to obtain control of subject without use of a weapon. Tazers were not meant to be used by police to punish a subject. In addition, it would never be acceptable for anyone to use as a form of punishment on anyone. The intention of a tazer is to decrease the potential for a subject to engage in potentially threatening or life-altering activities. If police were allowed to use tazers as a punishment, then there could be an increase in harm or even death. If it was accepted that tazers could be a form of discipline, would that mean that tazers could be used in the home or school as a form of punishment? It would be unwise to ever consider using tazers as a form of punishment.