by Thomas Hobson
Child Life Director

It seems like every so often the media brings up the “S” word: spanking.  There is nothing that gets a people fired up like asking about disciplining children.  It quickly dives into what people would do with their own children and then on to their own childhood.  Whether a proponent for or against, it seems that everyone has an opinion.

On April 12, 2010, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released a study that examined the impact of spanking on 3-year old children when they were 5-years old. In a nutshell, the study found that children between the ages of 3 and 5 were that were spanked more than twice a month were more likely to show aggressive behaviors at age 5.  The complete article is far more comprehensive than my explanation, and if you would like to read it click here.

This study goes to reinforce what the AAP ‘s Guidance for Effective Discipline.  Instead of focusing on corporal punishment, the recommendations focus on a strong parent-child relationship, positive reinforcement, and removing negative reinforcement or applying punishment focused on stopping the behavior.  The guidelines were originally published in April 1998, and have continued to recommend them over the past 12 years.

The truth is that there has been a great deal of research done on spanking, and other forms of corporal punishment, and most have pointed towards negative impact.  Speaking as a parent, I realize there are times that spanking seems like the right action to take.  It is even more engrained into your parenting style if you were spanked as a child.  However, there is a plethora of research that states that you should do otherwise. 

If you struggle with whether or not to spank your child, I would recommend sitting down and reading both articles.  For that matter, if you’re just curious about what the AAP says read them.  This is a topic that people feel strongly about, but may have not ever read any of the research.  Take the extra time and see what pediatricians are saying, I promise you and your child will be thankful for it.