How long do you spank for

Tips on positive parenting from the CDC. Unicef's "How to Discipline Positively". The Consequences of Corporal Punishment.

See More In. Unlocking the Science of Motivation. New insights into how motivation works, why it can lag, and what we can do to help students develop it. By: Grace Tatter. Posted: March 7, Enriching the health curriculum with a robust education in child development — to support future parents. By: Emily Boudreau. Posted: May 28, See All Usable Knowledge Posts. Today the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, and other child health organizations strongly oppose physical punishment in children.

In a study released in July , a psychologist who analyzed six decades of research on corporal punishment found that it puts children at risk for long-term harm that far outweighs the short-term benefit of on-the-spot obedience. Psychologist Elizabeth Gershoff of Columbia University's National Center for Children in Poverty found links between spanking and aggression, anti-social behavior, and mental health problems.

Gershoff spent five years analyzing 88 studies of corporal punishment conducted since Another study by psychologist Murray Straus, co-director of the Family Research Laboratory at the University of New Hampshire, followed children between the ages of 2 and 4 and made this surprising finding: Kids who were spanked scored lower on tests that measured their ability to learn.

Straus thinks the reason may be that parents who don't spank their children spend more time talking and reasoning with them. Straus also believes that spanking may get children to stop misbehaving in the short run, but it makes them more likely to act out in the long run. His study found that the more children were spanked, the more likely they were to fight, steal, and engage in other antisocial behavior.

This echoes several other studies, which found that children who are hit at home are more likely to become juvenile delinquents as teenagers than those who weren't physically punished. Girls, on the other hand, are more likely to suffer from depression. In addition, a landmark study on adverse childhood experiences ACEs such as neglect and physical or verbal abuse found that such childhood adversity only affects brain development, but children's hormonal systems, immune systems and even their DNA.

Don't do it. Young children are especially fragile because their brains are still developing. Every year, thousands of kids 2 and under are injured -- sometimes killed -- when they are shaken or hit. Shaken infant syndrome, as doctors call it, most often happens to kids under 1 and sometimes to those under 2. It can cause cerebral hemorrhage, blindness, severe brain damage, and even death. While a significant number of parents still use corporal punishment, recent research shows that the majority are now choosing not to physically discipline their children.

In , a survey by the Gallup organization found that 94 percent of parents said they had physically punished their 4- and 5-year-old children, and nearly 30 percent of the parents admitted to hitting children between 5 and 12 with belts, paddles, or other objects. But a University of Michigan poll suggests a national trend toward non-physical discipline, with just 38 percent of parents saying they are likely to spank or paddle children between the ages of 2 and 5.

Spanking may temporarily stop an annoying behavior. But parenting is a long-term proposition, and research shows that in the long-term spanking isn't effective. Many parents who start spanking soon find they need to up the ante -- to spank more and harder in order to get their child's attention. Hitting a child while yelling, "this is the only way I can get through to you," becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Many experts have also found that over time, spanking makes a child angry and resentful; he also becomes less -- not more -- willing to do what you ask. That pattern can begin as early as age 1. A study published in the Journal of Developmental Psychology, for instance, found that 1-year-olds who were frequently spanked by their mothers were far more likely to ignore Mom's requests, compared to children who were rarely or never spanked.

It helps to remember that young children, especially 2- and 3-year-olds, are going to push your buttons and test limits -- it's part of their job description.

And it's natural for you to get extremely angry with your child sometimes, but if you make an ironclad rule for yourself that you won't hit your child -- ever -- you'll avoid the negative consequences of spanking. You'll also avoid a situation in which anger can turn a light slap turn into a dangerous blow. Of course, you will still get frustrated and furious at times -- it's inevitable. It helps to remember that it's hard being 2 and 3. One minute, you're all-powerful and can do anything without help.

The next minute, you're frustrated, unable to accomplish a simple task, and throwing a toy across the room. As your child lurches back and forth between being powerful and feeling humiliated, you can help him save face with your understanding and support. If you're the primary caregiver for your child, cultivate friendships with other parents and set up playdates -- they'll give you a break and are a fun way for your child to feel more independent and learn new social skills.

Spanking and harsh words are harmful and don't work. Americans still strongly believe in beating, spanking or paddling children, both at home and in school. One group studied parents in their home and found most parents did give kids a verbal warning before physically striking out. But they did not wait long.

Parents who hit their children often have serious problems of their own. Time outs work very well for younger children, the group said. Pediatricians will almost always recommend discipline that does not include hitting children, or forcing them to eat spices, washing their mouths out with soap or other abusive punishments.