Should Parents Spank Their Kids?

[David Baxter PhD]

Should Parents Spank Their Kids?
By Karen Schrock, Scientific American Mind
January 19, 2010

A task force concludes that parents probably should not use spanking as a punishment

Corporal punishment has long been a hotly debated subject, with conflicting study results and opposing ideologies feeding the fire. Now the results of a five-year effort to review the scientific literature are in: a task force appointed by the family services division of the American Psychological Association (APA) concludes that “parents and caregivers should reduce and potentially eliminate their use of any physical punishment as a disciplinary measure.”

Psychologist Sandra A. Graham-Bermann of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, who chairs the task force, announced the recommendation in August at the APA’s annual meeting. In a presentation, she explained that the group of 15 experts in child development and psychology found correlations between physical punishment and an increase in childhood anxiety and depression, an increase in behavioral problems, including aggression, and impaired cognitive development—even when the child’s prepunishment behavior and development were taken into consideration.

The task force was not unanimous in its conclusion. Psychologist Robert E. Larzelere of Oklahoma State University argued that the research is flawed and that the evidence against spanking is “faulty.” In the few studies that have compared spanking with other forms of punishment, such as restriction of privileges, grounding and time-outs, all the punitive measures examined resulted in similarly negative outcomes in children, Larzelere said. He recommended that parents use spanking as a backup when gentler forms of punishment are not working. “Premature bans against spanking may undermine loving parental authority,” Larzelere said.

Most members of the task force disagree with Larzelere, however, and stand firm in their recommendation against corporal punishment, which is still used by more than 90 percent of American parents at some point and condoned by more than 70 percent of the population, according to 1995 and 2005 survey data.

Long-time physical-punishment researcher Murray A. Straus, a sociologist at the University of New Hampshire who served as a consultant to the APA task force, pointed out that although the evidence against spanking is in the form of correlations (not direct causal proof), the association is more robust and stronger than the correlations that have served as bases for other public health interventions, such as secondhand smoke’s relation to cancer, exposure to lead and IQ scores in children, and exposure to asbestos and laryngeal cancer. “I am confident we will eventually arrive at the same place for corporal punishment,” Straus said.

The APA is reviewing the majority and minority positions of the task force and will issue its official recommendation at a later date.

Note: This story was originally printed with the title To Spank or Not to Spank.

 

[Domo]

I was smacked when i was a kid and turned out perfectly fine!...

I'm not a parent so i don't really have any feeling eitherway. If you can get the same result without hitting then go for it.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

I was smacked when i was a kid and turned out perfectly fine!...

Did you? How do you know the outcome wouldn't have been better had you not been "smacked"?

Or even if you did "turn out fine", was that because of or in spite of being hit by your parents?

What benefits did you derive from being hit as a child? What emotional scars or damage did that leave with you? What did you learn about people and about life from being hit?

 

[Domo]

Did you? How do you know the outcome wouldn't have been better had you not been "smacked"?

Or even if you did "turn out fine", was that because of or in spite of being hit by your parents?

What benefits did you derive from being hit as a child? What emotional scars or damage did that leave with you? What did you learn about people and about life from being hit?

I was being sarcastic, i didn't turn out fine but i don't think the blame should be placed on the fact that I was smacked. I was a pretty good child anyway so it wasn't often.

My brother on the other hand was a nightmare and got smacked a lot. He is a wonderful person now.

No idea if it left any emotional scars or damage. I've never really thought about it.

What did i learn? Nothing? What do you think it teaches?

 

[David Baxter PhD]

What do you think it teaches?

That if someone does something you don't like or doesn't do something you want him or her to do, it is acceptable to use physical aggression and violence to force compliance.

 

[Domo]

That if someone does something you don't like or doesn't do something you want him or her to do, it is acceptable to use physical aggression and violence to force compliance.

My brother and i went through a phase where we beat each other up pretty badly so i suppose that was a result. But we grew out of it.

I see what you are saying though.

 

[forgetmenot]

No definetly no it is not necessary and it only causes a child to become angry and create a low self esteem of themselves. There are so many other options that do work instilling fear should never be one of them.

 

[Hermes]

Violence in any shape or form is never acceptable. Slapping a child merely teaches that hitting is the only way to solve a problem. Leaving aside the fact that a child is smaller than an adult, and cannot retaliate. I also think it teaches a child that it is all right to hit at someone or something vulnerable.
I agree entirely with David.

Alice Miller has written extensively on the topic.

All the best
Hermes

 

[Into The Light]

more than 90% of american parents spank their children? i am completely shocked by this statistic.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

more than 90% of american parents spank their children? i am completely shocked by this statistic.

I agree. Equally shocking to me is this statement:

“Premature bans against spanking may undermine loving parental authority,” Larzelere said.

If Larzelere truly believes that most corporal punishment is meted out in a loving fashion, rather than in anger, I think he is seriously deluding himself.

 

[forgetmenot]

Loving Parental Authority what the ------ is that Striking someone hitting someone is not loving authority. Loving authority would be to explain to a child what it is he or she is doing wrong and why and give a consequence to it. Violence is not loving never .

 

[Domo]

I would hardly call a small slap on the bum as violence

 

[forgetmenot]

Not to you It belittles and humiliates the child. It teaches them that hitting is acceptable A small slap leads to other things no a child needs to be taught that hitting is never acceptable never the way to deal with anger. It is not loving

 

[Domo]

I don't think hitting is acceptable and i was smacked as a child.

What other things does it lead to?

Are other non physical forms of punishment loving?

 

[forgetmenot]

Yes they can be loving as they give the child some control over what is happening . They are being given time to reflect on their behavior and what it is that was wrong They are given a chance if old enough to apologize and to try to improve It is guiding the child into thinking for themselves giving a form of self esteem Yes non physical forms of punishment can be loving not all but most yes.

 

[Into The Light]

being slapped or spanked leads to feeling humiliation, shamed, loss of self-esteem, teaches you you aren't ok for who you are, teaches you you aren't ok for wanting something, leads to not being safe to express yourself, leads to putting up walls and a mask.

that's what comes to mind when i think of when i was spanked, just the once, as a 4 year old.

 

[Domo]

Yes they can be loving as they give the child some control over what is happening . They are being given time to reflect on their behavior and what it is that was wrong They are given a chance if old enough to apologize and to try to improve It is guiding the child into thinking for themselves giving a form of self esteem Yes non physical forms of punishment can be loving not all but most yes.

Can i have an example where a child has some control over their punishment? Also an example of a 'loving punishment'.

I suppose it depends on the individual child. Some might become damaged from being smacked and others turn out fine.

---------- Post added at 07:33 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:22 PM ----------

For the record, i am not condoing using physical force against children. I just think that it really is not that black and white.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

For the record, i am not condoing using physical force against children. I just think that it really is not that black and white.

And for the record, I think it is exactly that black and white.

If an adult treated another adult in that fashion, there is absolutely no question that it would be considered an assault. If you were to strike your partner that way, you'd be charged with domestic violence.

Why on earth is it viewed any differently when the victim is a child, who is much more vulnerable and much less able to defend himself or herself?

Indeed, if anyone other than a parent assaulted the child in exactly the same fashion - a teacher, a neighbor, a coach, anyone - that person would also very likely be charged with assault.

So again, why on earth should the relationship between parent and child change the way we see the act itself? It is still an act of physical aggression or violence. It is still an act that meets all the criteria for assault. Why should the fact that the assailant is a parent and the victim a child have any bearing at all on the issues?

This is in my opinion a holdover from the feudal concept of patriarchal ownership of a family member. We no longer allow that to sway how we view and respond to domestic violence against a spouse. When are we going to extend the same protections to children?

 

[Daniel E.]

BTW, it seems to me that some people treat their dogs better than they treat their kids since the dogs seem less "trainable" when it comes to physical punishment.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

BTW, it seems to me that some people treat their dogs better than they treat their kids since the dogs seem less "trainable" when it comes to physical punishment.

And dogs don't "talk back".

I'd also add that dog abuse is often prosecuted more vigorusly than child abuse. I think the major reason corporal punishment by parents hasn't been outlawed is that politicians lack the guts to take on the religious right, those with a fundamentalist or literal view of portions of the Bible that seem to advocate corporal punishment. But let's not forget that a literal interpretation of the Old Testament also seems to support stoning, blinding, cutting off limbs, and other acts of barbarism as retribution that would never be tolerated here.