Reference: Afifi, Tracie O &, Romano, Elisa (2017). Ending the Spanking Debate. Child Abuse & Neglect 71, 3–4. What do 20 years of high quality research reveal about spanking children? One whole issue of the Child Abuse & Neglect Journal in 2017 is devoted solely to the research and conclusions on child corporal punishment by parents or anyone. Psychological science shows that spanking (corporal punishment) misleads the parent, as children immediately comply. Yet spanked children have greater likelihood of mental health issues, substance use, suicidal thoughts and attempts, and behavioral, social, cognitive, and even physical health problems. Not one study revealed any benefits from spanking. Instead, parents must teach children positive behaviors and helpful ways to handle their emotions—anger, fears, disappointments, and triumphs. Spanking a child, often done in anger and frustration, models aggression for the child as the way to solve problems. Research shows spanking increases the likelihood of anger, aggression, and violence in societies and worse parent-child relationships. The United Nations’ 2016 goal was to eliminate spanking and all physical punishment of children and promote well-being for all. In 2024, 65 countries prohibit spanking and hitting of children by everyone—parents, schools, jails, or detention centers. Let’s stop all corporal punishment and make a nation-wide effort to provide all parents loving techniques to raise humane children.

Written by Juanita N. Baker, Ph.D.