It’s been a long day at work; bosses yell, coworkers harass, workloads stress…being an adult is difficult. But the last straw is when that difficult child starts giving attitude. What can a parent do but spank the guff out of them?
My parents are extremely diplomatic, as I have trained them well. However, many other children around the world aren’t so fortunate. Tons of parents justify their actions by saying, “It teaches them values! Parents need to be respected!” Or “They should be held accountable!”
I found this great article in one of my mom’s (usually boring) science journals, CMAJ, that asked, “Is spanking effective?” Turns out, it’s not. Here’s why:
1. Studies show that there are links between physical punishment and aggression in children, delinquency, and spousal assault, later in life.
2. Studies that controlled socioeconomic status, levels of emotional support, and child behaviours initially, showed that children who suffered physical abuse from 6 to 9 years old presented higher levels of anti-social behaviours a mere two years later.
3. Since it is considered unethical to submit children to “scientific spanking”, another test taught parents who relied on physical abuse in educating children to reduce their violent urges. Not surprisingly, as levels of physical punishment reduced, so did difficult behaviour patterns in kids.
4. Physical punishment is often a factor for many mental health problems in children, such as anxiety, unhappiness or depression, use of drugs and alcohol, and feelings of hopelessness.
5. New neuroimaging tests suggest that physical punishment may lead to the decline of certain areas of the brain’s grey matter.
6. People react to pain through aggression. Even in situations where one simply stubs their toe, the individual becomes extremely irritated, and may be prompted to use curses as a release of their frustration. (Been there, done that.) It’s only natural that physical punishment would lead to negative mental responses.
For the full article from CMAJ-JAMC, click here.
