Kids who are spanked have more anti-social behaviors.
It might seem like a good idea in the moment, but spanking your kids in an attempt to teach them a lesson and punish them can lead to long-term ill effects according to a study done by the University of New Hampshire.
Anti-social behaviors were more prominent in kids who were spanked than in kids who weren’t. And even if the spankings were followed up by loving behaviors on the part of the parents, they weren’t enough to counteract the effects of the spanking.
In other words, the damage had been done.
This comes as sad news if previous estimates are true – that 90% of Americans are spanking their kids.
In the full article you’ll read accounts from both sides of the issue related to this study: Parents who spank their kids, as well as those who are against spanking.
What do you think?
Is it worth spanking your toddler or child now if it’s going to lead to long-term anti-social behavior down the road?
Study: Spanking kids leads to long-term bad behavior [CNN]
