Children who are spanked have lower IQs

[Kays_Mama06]

Physical punishment slows kids' intellectual growth, researcher says

 

Spanking can get kids to behave in a hurry, but new research suggests it can do more harm than good to their noggins. The study, involving hundreds of U.S. children, showed the more a child was spanked, the lower his or her IQ compared with others.

"All parents want smart children," said study researcher Murray Straus of the University of New Hampshire. "This research shows that avoiding spanking and correcting misbehavior in other ways can help that happen."

One might ask, however, whether children who are spanked tend to come from backgrounds in which education opportunities are less or inherited intelligence lower.

But while the results only show an association between spanking and intelligence, Straus says his methodology and the fact that he took into account other factors that could be at play (such as parents' socioeconomic status) make a good case for a causal link.

"You can't say it proves it, but I think it rules out so many other alternatives; I am convinced that spanking does cause a slowdown in a child's development of mental abilities," Straus told LiveScience.

Intelligence quotients
Straus and his colleague Mallie Paschall of the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation in Maryland studied nationally representative samples of two age groups: 806 children ages 2 to 4, and 704 ages 5 to 9. The researchers tested the kids' IQs initially and then four years later.

Both groups of kids got smarter after four years. But the 2- to 4-year-olds who were spanked scored 5 points lower on the IQ test than those not spanked. For children ages 5 to 9, the spanked ones scored on average 2.8 points lower than their unspanked counterparts.

The results, he said, were statistically significant. And they held even after accounting for parental education, income, cognitive stimulation by parents and other factors that could affect children's mental abilities.

Straus will present the study results, along with research on the relationship between average national IQ and prevalence of spanking around the world, Friday at the 14th International Conference on Violence, Abuse and Trauma, in San Diego, Calif.

Spanking science
Whether or not spanking equates with dumber kids is not known, and may never be known. That's because the only way to truly show cause and effect would be to follow over time two groups of kids, one randomly assigned to get spanked and another who would not get spanked. Barring that method, which is unfeasible, Straus considers his study the next best thing, as he looked back at a nationally representative set of kids who were followed over time.

Jennifer Lansford of Duke University's Center for Child and Family Policy and Social Science Research Institute called the study "interesting," and agrees the method is a strong one. Lansford, who was not involved with the study, said following kids over time as this study did rules out the possibility that children with lower IQs somehow elicit more physical discipline.

However, unlike research showing the link between spanking and a kid's aggressive behavior, in which kids model parents' actions, this link is less clear to her. She added that a question still left unanswered is "what are some of the other mechanisms that could be responsible for this link between physical discipline and lower IQ?"

How spanking harms
If spanking does send IQ scores down, Straus and others offer some explanations for what might be going on.

"Contrary to what everyone believes, being hit by parents is a traumatic experience," Straus said. "We know from lots of research that traumatic stresses affect the brain adversely." Also, the trauma could cause kids to have more stressful responses in difficult situations, and so may not perform as well cognitively.

By using hitting rather than words or other means of discipline, parents could be depriving kids of learning opportunities. "With spanking, a parent is delivering a punishment to get the child's attention and to get them to behave in a certain way," said Elizabeth Gershoff, who studies childhood development at the University of Texas, Austin. "It's not fostering children's independent thinking."

So when a child gets in a bind, he or she might do the right thing to keep from a spanking rather than figuring out the best decision independently, added Gershoff, who was not involved in Straus's current study.

And then there are genes, as some kids are just born smarter than others.

Even though spanking has been shown to cause negative consequences, Gershoff said many parents still fall back on the behavior-shaping tool. As for why, she says it's a quick fix, though its seeming success is short-lived and the negative consequences often outweigh the positives. Parents also might have been spanked themselves and so continue the tradition.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/33013187/ns/health-kids_and_parenting/

What do you think of all this?

[MSugarKane]

Sep. 25, 2009 at 8:46 AM

I think spanking just teaches a child that it is OK to hit others.  Children learn from their parents everything about life.

BUT I do have times when I think one swift slap to the butt is appropriate. I go by this rule,   Only do it once, to get their attention  IF they are causing harm to themselves or others.   

Harm meaning sticking things into electrical outlets, getting into cabinets that have unsafe products in them,  scissors, etc.

When a child hits, bites, scratches, body slams another child that is not when to hit them back.   That is when to take the child aside, teach them to CALM down and say they are sorry to the other child.    Mainly its teaching the child to CALM down in situations that get them frustrated.

Exactly the same for a parent that wants to hit their children when they get frustrated.  Walk away.  Give yourself a time out. THINK about what to do next as an adult.  This will give you all the power back with the child and the child won't learn aggression when faced with a situation they don't know how to handle any way else.

Parenting is HARD work. The hardest part is not hitting to quickly , making the right choice to step back and revise the situation and get the child to CALM DOWN or make a better decision by following what their parents do during frustrating times.

[sugahmamma]

Sep. 25, 2009 at 9:41 AM

I disagree big time. This study shouldhave showed the social class, and educational background of the parents. I think that would have made a big difference in understanding what factors may contribute to the lower IQ's.

Spanking does not show a child its "ok" to hit, but rather that there are painful consequences for there bad actions or decisions.

Just look at all the boomings and girls getting pregnant (on the Maury Show for ex)...They had no discipline. In fact most times the parents didnt have a clue what was going on b/c kids were sent to their rooms, talked to/yelled at. And ppl wonder why the world is filled with dangerous criminals, kids challenging their parents, and so forth.

Let me just say this...I was raised old school - were parents, and neighbors spanked you! I grew up respectful, top of my class in both high school and college. There is just no way I would have even thought about so much as talking back to my parents or ANY adult for that matter!

Now, I spank my 3yr- old as a last resort. But I would rather spank him, and scare the hell out of him, than for him to be disobedient, disrespectful.

How many kids get abducted each day for taking to strangers, or get killed by a hit and run, or shot up by a drive by? Now Im not saying EVERY case is the same, but Im sure that if some of those parents would have spanked their kids when they said stay in the house (and the child went outside instead) , or dont talk to strangers (and the child did so anyway after being warned), that many of those kids would still be safe at home today.

I think that this study is bogus, bias, and pointless. But thanx for the post! 

[Stacymt3b]

Sep. 25, 2009 at 11:23 AM

My youngest son was spanked and is still spanked if needed and he is the head of his class (by leaps and bounds)  I have seen that report else where on Cafemom and I don't agree with it at all.

[SunshineSmiles]

Sep. 25, 2009 at 11:29 AM

this is all crap >;D

[NightPhoenix]

Sep. 25, 2009 at 10:51 PM

I can see the point. Besides teaching them that it's ok to hit, (though mixed messages are sent when they get in trouble for hitting), they are too busy trying NOT to get spanked to really grow and learn. IMO