Spanking linked to more aggression in kids
By Linda Thrasybule
MyHealthNewsDaily
Live Poll
Do you use spanking for disciplining your kids?
Spanking or slapping your child has long-term, harmful effects on their development, according to a new review of 20 years of research.
Over the past two decades, research has increasingly found links between such "everyday" types of physical punishment and higher levels of child aggression, according to the review. In fact, no studies have found this type of child discipline to predict a positive long-term effect.
"I think it's important for parents to understand that although physical punishment might get a child to do something in the immediate situation, there are many side effects that can develop over the long term," said co-author Joan Durrant, a child clinical psychologist at Family Social Sciences at the University of Manitoba in Canada.
"For example, the more often a child sees a parent respond to conflict or frustration with slapping or spanking, the more likely that child will do the same when confronting their own conflicts," Durrant said.
The review is published today (Feb. 6) in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
Some parents still use spanking for discipline
One recent poll found that 22 percent of parents reported
being "very likely" to spank their children, but most said they
disciplined their kids in other ways, by taking away privileges or
putting them in "time out."
In one U.S. study, researchers looked at 2,400 mothers who spanked their 3-year-olds twice the previous month, and found that children had an increased risk for higher levels of aggression when they were 5 years old.
"In the U.S., physical punishment is such an entrenched part of the culture that virtually no one has experienced growing up without it," Durrant said. "This situation makes it difficult for parents to visualize raising a child without it."
Durrant also pointed out that a major factor could be that some parents have little knowledge or understanding of why children behave like they do.
"They are more likely to believe that their child is being defiant or intentionally bad, but in most cases, children are simply doing what is normal for their development," she said.
Start early with positive discipline
Based on
years of research, however, more and more doctors are encouraging
parents to discipline their children with positive, nonviolent
approaches.
"Parents should start out really young — as early as 12 months old," said Kimberly Sirl, a clinical psychologist at St. Louis Children's Hospital, who was not involved with the research.
"Kids have to learn how to cope with frustration, how to share and how to be patient," Sirl said. "Parents teach them how to do that."
For example, Sirl said that toddlers say no to everything, so the best thing to do when they're acting out is either ignore them briefly (for roughly 10 seconds) or redirect their negative behavior.
"If you want to encourage good behavior, provide them with reward or praise," she said.
Instead of saying, "do this [be]cause I told you so," Sirl said, it's best to explain to kids why there are rules.
"We should let them know that grownups have to follow rules too," she said. "Essentially, time out for grownups is called jail."
We really try to avoid spanking, I don't agree with it. I know my oldest never hit until we hit him :-/
I feel like they learn from example and we should teach them that way. But of course, that's only my opinion
Quoting SabrinaLC:We really try to avoid spanking, I don't agree with it. I know my oldest never hit until we hit him :-/
I feel like they learn from example and we should teach them that way. But of course, that's only my opinion
I definitely think that it can lead to more aggression, I think any form of discipline can if you are out of control or angry when you are dealing with it. To me the key is to correct and instruct my kids out of love and out of long term goals, not out of 'um ya that's annoying, stop it'- or letting myself get angry at what they are doing and then snapping to discipline based on that.
I have only spanked my son once...and felt horrible about it for days later! We do a time out. Followed by an explanation of why what he did was wrong.
I am not sure I agree.....I was spanked as a kid and so was my childrens father, and I am not an aggressive person, neither is their father.
However, I very rarely spank my kids, 99% of the time it is a time out and then told what they did wrong and discussed better ways to handle the situation should it arise again.
Quoting gacgbaker:I definitely think that it can lead to more aggression, I think any form of discipline can if you are out of control or angry when you are dealing with it. To me the key is to correct and instruct my kids out of love and out of long term goals, not out of 'um ya that's annoying, stop it'- or letting myself get angry at what they are doing and then snapping to discipline based on that.
Quoting Army_Mom_2_Boyz:I am not sure I agree.....I was spanked as a kid and so was my childrens father, and I am not an aggressive person, neither is their father.
However, I very rarely spank my kids, 99% of the time it is a time out and then told what they did wrong and discussed better ways to handle the situation should it arise again.
Quoting Army_Mom_2_Boyz:I am not sure I agree.....I was spanked as a kid and so was my childrens father, and I am not an aggressive person, neither is their father.
However, I very rarely spank my kids, 99% of the time it is a time out and then told what they did wrong and discussed better ways to handle the situation should it arise again.
I guess it just depends on the person :)
Quoting fallnangel3:
I wasn't spanked (at least that I remember) and my parents have never suggested I spank our kids, dh on the other hand was and he can be pretty agressive. Its something we've had to work on over the years
Quoting Army_Mom_2_Boyz:I am not sure I agree.....I was spanked as a kid and so was my childrens father, and I am not an aggressive person, neither is their father.
However, I very rarely spank my kids, 99% of the time it is a time out and then told what they did wrong and discussed better ways to handle the situation should it arise again.
- fallnangel3
on Feb. 13, 2012 at 6:16 AM