From the Guidelines
Corporal punishment has negative effects on growth and development, and its use should be discouraged in favor of alternative discipline approaches that support healthy development. The evidence suggests that physical discipline, such as spanking or hitting, can harm children's development in multiple ways, including increased aggression, antisocial behavior, and mental health problems like anxiety and depression 1. Cognitively, children who experience corporal punishment may have lower IQ scores and poorer academic performance, and the stress response triggered by physical punishment can affect brain development, particularly in areas responsible for emotional regulation and decision-making 1. Physically punished children often develop poorer relationships with parents and caregivers, damaging their ability to form secure attachments, and these effects can persist into adulthood, leading to increased risk of mental health disorders, substance abuse, and continuing cycles of violence 1. Some key factors that place a child at risk for negative effects of corporal punishment include:
- Emotional/behavioral difficulties
- Chronic illness
- Physical disabilities
- Developmental disabilities
- Preterm birth
- Unwanted or unplanned birth
- Parental factors such as low self-esteem, poor impulse control, substance abuse, and depression
- Environmental factors such as social isolation, poverty, and unemployment 1. Alternative discipline approaches like positive reinforcement, natural consequences, and clear communication are more effective for teaching children appropriate behavior while supporting healthy development, and pediatricians can play a role in promoting these approaches and discouraging the use of corporal punishment 1.
From the Research
Effects of Corporal Punishment on Growth and Development
- Corporal punishment has been linked to various negative consequences for children, including physical abuse, externalizing behavioral problems, and slowed cognitive development 2.
- The use of physical punishment with children can result in negative developmental outcomes, such as child aggression, mental health issues, and physical abuse 3.
- Research suggests that corporal punishment is of limited effectiveness and has potentially deleterious side effects, including increased risk of externalizing and internalizing behavior problems and low cognitive performance 4, 5.
Long-term Outcomes of Corporal Punishment
- Longitudinal studies have found small but non-trivial long-term relationships between spanking/corporal punishment use and negative outcomes, including externalizing and internalizing problems and low cognitive performance 4.
- However, when better controlled partial r coefficients were examined, the results were statistically significant but trivial for externalizing and internalizing behaviors and near the threshold of trivial for cognitive performance 4.
- The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents be encouraged and assisted in the development of methods other than spanking for managing undesired behavior 5.
Recommendations for Discipline Strategies
- Pediatricians should use a comprehensive approach when advising families about discipline strategies, including consideration of the parent-child relationship, reinforcement of desired behaviors, and consequences for negative behaviors 5.
- Health care providers have a responsibility to promote disciplinary strategies that facilitate positive parent-children relationships and keep children's self-esteem and bodies healthy and intact 3.
- Pediatric health care providers should be educated about child discipline and corporal punishment and advocate for the use of positive parenting principles and discourage the use of corporal punishment 2.