ReseaRch BRiefs
Nov 20, 2018
Citations
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Influential Citations
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Journal
The Brown University Child & Adolescent Psychopharmacology Update
Abstract
AAP: Spanking harms children The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), in an updated policy statement on corporal punishment, says mounting evidence shows that spanking as a disciplinary tool increases aggression in young children and is also ineffective as a teaching tool when it comes to responsibility. The AAP has long called for a ban on physical discipline. New evidence suggests that spanking may cause harm by affecting normal brain development. The policy statement, “Effective Discipline to Raise Healthy Children,” was published in the December 2018 issue of Pediatrics. It also addresses the harm associated with verbal punishment, such as shaming or humiliation. “The good news is, fewer parents support the use of spanking than they did in the past,” said Robert D. Sege, M.D., Ph.D., a past member of the AAP Committee on Child Abuse and Neglect and co-author of the policy statement. “Yet corporal punishment remains legal in many states, despite evidence that it harms kids — not only physically and mentally, but in how they perform at school and how they interact with other children.” Corporal punishment and harsh verbal abuse may cause a child to be fearful in the short term but does not improve behavior over the long term and may cause more aggressive behaviors, according to the AAP. In one study, young children who were spanked more than twice a month at age 3 were more aggressive at age 5. Those same children at age 9 still exhibited negative behaviors and lower receptive vocabulary scores, according to the research. In addition, striking, yelling at, or shaming a child can elevate stress hormones and lead to changes in the brain’s architecture. Harsh verbal abuse is also linked to mental health problems in preteens and adolescents. “It’s best to begin with the premise of rewarding positive behavior,” said Benjamin S. Siegel, M.D., FAAP, co-author of the policy statement. “Parents can set up rules and expectations in advance. The key is to be consistent in following through with them.” The AAP recommends that pediatricians use their influence in office visits to help parents with age-appropriate strategies for handling their child’s discipline. They also may refer families to community resources for more intensive or targeted help. “There’s no benefit to spanking,” Dr. Sege said. “We know that children grow and develop better with positive role modeling and by setting healthy limits. We can do better.” [Sege RD, Siegel BS. Effective discipline to raise healthy children. Pediatrics 2018 Nov 5. doi: 10.1542/peds.20183112. Epub ahead of print.]