Stop the Spanking: Physical Punishment of Children is Detrimental to Their Development

Spanking is a parenting "practice" that is often perpetuated because a parent doesn't know of a better alternative to use. But there are alternatives and they can be learned and shared to change the way parents deal with their children.

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Yes, there are alternatives to spanking or hitting children. But if there weren't, would it really be acceptable to use physical violence against children? No, it's just that it's an easy way to respond and gain control over the target of frustration.

Although parents are trying to do their best, this is a difficult subject for many to face, as they might feel helpless if the only approach they know is criticized, this not an easy subject to face. Because of this, people will feel attacked if you tell them they shouldn't spank, or spanking is wrong. They want to believe they are doing things right, not wrong. They don't want to face that they could be doing something wrong, and become defensive. But some people will want to understand it more and want to know if they are doing something that is wrong or harmful to their child.

For the former who have issues facing themselves in the mirror and have no idea that what they are doing is harmful. Spanking still a common form of discipline in many areas of the world despite being banned in 53 countries. Why? Because it's a form of violence against children. It is child abuse when you get down to it. When you violate someone's bodily integrity, that's physical assault, whether done to an adult or child. That's violence. A parent should be protecting their child, not inflicting physical and psychological damage.

Researchers have looked into child mistreatment from spanking and other "practices". A 2016 meta-analyses concluded the effects of spanking and physical abuse in general don't differ much as they both put increased risk of detrimental health, social and developmental outcomes. This includes physical and mental health issues with substance use, suicide attempts, behavioral and cognitive problems.

Not one single study has ever found that spanking has beneficial outcomes. Claiming spanking is safe and beneficial is just that, a claim, an opinion that is justified based achieving the behavioral outcome desired. The science of hundreds of studies shows that spanking produces harmful outcomes for children.

Two big meta-analyses confirm this. One published in 2002 which reviewed 88 studies from the previous 62 years, foung that physical punishment is linked to physical abuse, delinquency (youth crime) and antisocial behavior. The second published in 2016 by the same author, Dr. Elizabeth Gershoff, reviewed 75 studies from the previous 13 years. No evidence exists that spanking improves child behavior. Instead, there is a risk of increasing 13 detrimental behaviors, including include aggression, antisocial behavior, mental health problems and negative relationships with parents.

Here are the 13 areas affected:

• low moral internalization
• child aggression
• child antisocial behavior
• child externalizing behavior problems
• child internalizing behavior problems
• child mental health problems
• negative parent–child relationship
• impaired cognitive ability
• low self-esteem
• victim of physical abuse
• adult antisocial behavior
• adult mental health problems
• adult support for physical punishment

Spanking is not effective, and not safe, given the increase in these outcomes. I can speak in confirmation for these results, as I recognize a few developmental issues I've had in life that likely step from parental abuse with corporal punishment.

Some parents can have issues facing themselves in the mirror and have no idea that what they are doing is harmful. Awareness needs to be raised. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child has globally recognized the rights of protection and dignity for children to not suffer under violence of their parents. Spanking or other corporal punishment methods should never be used on children, nor teenagers.

Often parents want a concrete alternative method to use. Planting small seeds of awareness of alternative methods can bring them to think about what they were doing. Positive non-physical strategies can be employed, but of course it's not as easy as just hitting a defenseless child that you are angry at.

Gershoff published another paper in 2017 analyzing several intervention programs that work to improve parent-child relationships, and hinder the physical abuse of corporal punishment. There are levels of intervention and target sizes to prevent or reduce physical punishment. With the most expensive and smallest segment of the population being targeted there is intervention. Next is selective prevention. And then there is universal prevention which costs the less and targets the most people in the population.

Here is a list of the interventions or programs that provide alternative methods you can look into:

Interventions:

• Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)
• Incredible Years (IY)
• Nurturing Parenting Program (NPP)

Selective Prevention (Programs):

• Safe Environment for Every Kid (SEEK)
• Adults and Children Together Against Violence (ACT)
• Chicago Parent Program
• Early Head Start
• Nurse-Family Partnership
• Healthy Families
• Positive Discipline in Everyday Parenting

Selective Prevention (Approaches):

• Baby Books Project
• Brief online education
• Play Nicely
• Video Interaction Project
• Education for medical professionals

Given the prominence of Child "Protective" Services to authorize themselves to take children from parents for a variety of reasons, one thing parents can do to keep their families intact as well as secure a better outcome for their child's development, is to not hit children. If you want to protect your family, then raise you kids without being a source of violence. That way you protect their well-being, promote their positive development, as well as are reducing the risk of CPS kidnappers taking your child from you. Don't give them a reason. Be better for yourself, your children and your family.

To understand why physical punishment towards children is flawed, take a look at this simple chart:

Should I Strike My Child?

Are they old enough to understand reason?
If yes, then use reason. Therefore, stop hitting your child, asshole.
If no, then they're not old enough to understand the reason you're striking them. Thefore, stop hitting your child, asshole.

Spanking is not just violence, it is organized violence, like the state

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Thank you for your time and attention. Peace.

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_{References: Why parents should never spank children | Spanking and child outcomes: Old controversies and new meta-analyses. | Corporal Punishment by Parents and Associated Child Behaviors and Experiences: A Meta-Analytic and Theoretical Review | Physical punishment of children: lessons from 20 years of research | Promising intervention strategies to reduce parents’ use of physical punishment}

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