Researchers Report Long-Term Harm To Children Who Are Spanked

Jul 30, 2018 by apost team

Whether or not children should be spanked remains an ongoing argument. However, a study that appeared in "The American Journal of Family Psychology" may be settling that question once and for all. The study was conducted over 50 years and involved 160,000 children.

The study had strict parameters. It set a definition for spanking, and unlike some other studies, it also looked at spanking in isolation from other punishments.

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Researchers from the University of Texas found that spanking children actually made them more defiant toward their parents. They also may suffer from cognitive difficulties, mental health issues, and antisocial and aggressive behavior. As adults, they were more likely to have anxiety and depression.

Furthermore, researchers said the effects of spanking seemed to affect children in a similar if less severe way as child abuse even though it is not commonly thought of as abusive.

One researcher pointed out that people often argued that spanking had not harmed them. She replied that this healthy development was in spite of and not because of being spanked.

Parents have a number of other options for disciplining their children or redirecting their activity. Here are a few.

Parents often spank because they are frustrated and have lost control. Instead of spanking, they can try to take deep breaths and get a handle on their emotions before responding to the child's behavior.

Children may misbehave because they don't know any better. Parents can focus on trying to teach them instead of punishing them.

Being specific about what the child should be doing instead of emphasizing what the child is doing wrong can help. With specific instructions, the child may follow instructions.

Taking away the object the child is misbehaving with can help. Children who won't stop throwing their toys despite their parents telling them otherwise must learn consequences. Parents can take the toys away to teach that.

Parents need to be good role models for their children. They cannot punish the child for something they do themselves.

In some circumstances, it might be necessary to just remove a child who is causing trouble from the situation altogether. This also teaches consequences.

You may get tired of hearing yourself say it, but you can tell your children "no" as often as you have to when they are misbehaving. They will eventually associate the word with doing something wrong.

The job of being a parent can feel exhausting, but you have to keep at it. It's important to be present for your children as they grow into adulthood.

This one can be tough when your children have worn you down so much you want nothing more than to relax the rules. However, doing so once teaches them they can get it to happen again. You have to stay firm.

Everyone needs a break sometimes. You may need to call a sitter for a couple of hours just to give yourself a break and get your perspective back.

Kids can be trying, but they are just children learning their way around the world. Comment below with some suggestions of ways to cope with children's bad behavior that doesn't involve spanking and show this to your friends who are also against physical punishment, or maybe even those who don't understand what the big deal is.

Our content is created to the best of our knowledge, yet it is of general nature and cannot in any way substitute an individual consultation with your doctor. Your health is important to us!