People asking this are usually not looking for something harsher. They are looking for something that finally works, having tried several things that did not.
What the size of a punishment changes
Less than you would expect. A consequence that arrives every single time changes behavior; a consequence that arrives when you have had enough does not, however large it is. Children are extremely good at reading which one they are dealing with.
| Small and every time | Large and sometimes | |
|---|---|---|
| Predictable | Yes | No |
| Survivable for the adult | Yes | Rarely, which is why it is only sometimes |
| Changes next week | Usually | Almost never |
The reason this question keeps getting asked
Because punishment is being asked to do a job it cannot do. It can stop something. It cannot install the alternative. If a child does not have the thing you want in their repertoire, no consequence will produce it, and the search for a bigger one is a search for a lever that was never on the machine.
The thing that does install it is dull and slow: name the version you want the moment it appears, make it worth something, and let it accumulate where they can see it.