Study says spanking creates bullies; what do you think?
Add this to the mountain of evidence piling up against corporal punishment: Spanking Linked to Kids' Later Aggression
Moms who spank their 3-year-olds may be increasing their children's risk of aggressive behavior, such as bullying, by the time they turn 5, a study shows.The study, published in the May issue of Pediatrics, adds to evidence suggesting that spanking and other types of corporal punishment set kids up for aggressive behaviors later in life.
Although other studies have shown a link between spanking and aggressive behavior, the new study solidifies the connection because the researchers controlled for other maternal risk factors that might have explained the link, such as neglect, maternal use of drugs and alcohol, maternal stress and depression, and the physical or psychological maltreatment of the child.
The issue of spanking has come up before in the AnnArbor.com Parenting section, and I know there are readers who still feel spanking is OK. Or that the alternatives are too namby-pamby.
But there are alternatives that work. Here's a list from Mental Health America:
Role Modeling. Most children learn behaviors by observing their parents’ actions. Parents, therefore, must model the ways they want their children to behave. Remember that if a parent often yells, screams, or hits, the child will likely do the same.Setting Rules. Rules should be reasonable, fair, realistic and explained to child(ren) along with the consequences of not following them. A minimum set of rules should be established with attention given to the child’s age and developmental level. Appropriate consequences allow a child to redeem him/herself and relate to the misbehavior. A child should be allowed to negotiate what the consequence will be; thus building self-esteem and cooperation skills. Children may feel less resentful and angry if they are allowed to help decide the consequence of their negative behavior.
Encourage and Reward Good Behavior. When children are behaving appropriately, tell them so! Children can be rewarded through tangible objects, privileges, increased responsibility and verbal praise.
Creating Charts. Using charts to monitor and reward behavior is an interactive way for a child to learn appropriate behavior. A child’s “progress chart” may create improved cooperation and increased self-esteem. Charts should be simple and used for one behavior at a time with a designated time frame in mind.
Time-Out. Time-out involves removing a child from a situation following a negative behavior as a means to calm down, establish control, end inappropriate behavior, and reenter the situation in a positive state. Effective time-outs include an explanation of what the inappropriate behavior is and why the time-out is needed. The child should be told how long the time-out will last and when it will begin. The amount of time should be determined based on the child’s age and developmental level.
Here's an article by parenting authors Chick Moorman and Thomas Haller that refutes the common arguments in favor of spanking, and summarizes the research against it.
What do you think? Do you spank your children? What forms of discipline do you find most effective?
Comments
robyn
Sat, Apr 17, 2010 : 6:15 p.m.
Agreeing with RuralMom too. My kids are 13 (daughter - with Asperger Syndrome) and 10 (son - kinda ADHD). I have not had to spank my kids often, but in the cases when I did, it was a last resort. It ALWAYS involved them doing something that would potentially pose a threat to them or someone else. A spanking is not a beating, it is a swat on the behind (probably more bruising to the ego than to their tush. When my son was about three - we were in a grocery store. He ALWAYS stood up in the seat of the grocery cart. Even buckling him in didn't prevent him from doing it. I tried bringing a small toy to keep him occupied, told him ot to do it. Nothing worked. I turned around and there he was standing up - AGAIN. IF he fell from the cart onto the floor he could suffer serious head injury. I swatted him on the butt - put him back in the seat and told im if he did it again I'd spank him again. He never did it again. Shortly after that - a friend who works in the ER told me about a little girl that had come in to her ER and had brain trauma from falling out of a shoppin cart. She died. So death/injury -v- swat on the butt... I'm happy to say my kids are NOT bullies - in fact they are pretty considerate and compassionate. They're the kids who will stick up for the kids who do get picked on. They are not always the most well behaved kids at home - but they are really good elsewhere.
Tarc
Sat, Apr 17, 2010 : 11:41 a.m.
As with most 'studies' on spanking, this one is another load of ridiculousness. Children need to have boundaries set, and to have a good grasp of the concept of action and consequence from an early age. Spanking, when done *appropriately*, is an effective tool with some children. Clearly agendas were being followed in this work, and many of the comments presented bear no semblence to reality or common sense. I'll hate to see what kind of monsters this 'no consequences' method of child raising will create (and yes, this is a no consequences method).
PD Everitt
Fri, Apr 16, 2010 : 10:40 p.m.
People used to think it was necessary to "spank" adult members of the community, military trainees, and prisoners. In some countries they still do. In our country, it is considered sexual battery if a person over the age of 18 is "spanked", but only if over the age of 18. For one thing, because the buttocks are so close to the sex organs and so multiply linked to sexual nerve centers, striking them can trigger powerful and involuntary sexual stimulus in some people. There are numerous physiological ways in which it can be intentionally or unintentionally sexually abusive, but I won't list them all here. One can read the testimony, documentation, and educational resources available from the website of Parents and Teachers Against Violence In Education at www.nospank.net. Child buttock-battering vs. DISCIPLINE: Child buttock-battering (euphemistically labeled "spanking","swatting","switching","smacking", "paddling",or other cute-sounding names) for the purpose of gaining compliance is nothing more than an inherited bad habit. Its a good idea for people to take a look at what they are doing, and learn how to DISCIPLINE instead of hit. I think the reason why television shows like "Supernanny" and "Dr. Phil" are so popular is because that is precisely what many (not all) people are trying to do. There are several reasons why child bottom-slapping isn't a good idea. Here are some good, quick reads recommended by professionals: Plain Talk About Spanking by Jordan Riak, The Sexual Dangers of Spanking Children by Tom Johnson, NO VITAL ORGANS THERE, So They Say by Lesli Taylor M.D. and Adah Maurer Ph.D. Just a handful of those helping to raise awareness of why child bottom-slapping isn't a good idea: American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, American Psychological Association, Center For Effective Discipline, Churches' Network For Non-Violence, Nobel Peace Prize recipient Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Parenting In Jesus' Footsteps, Global Initiative To End All Corporal Punishment of Children, United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. In 26 countries, child corporal punishment is prohibited by law (with more in process). In fact, the US was the only UN member that did not ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
RuralMom
Fri, Apr 16, 2010 : 8:43 a.m.
Spanking for the purpose of discipline is not about inflicting true pain people, if you are spanking to "hurt" then don't use this method EVER. It should not be done in anger, frustration or fear. Spanking used appropriately would be where you explain to the child that you have spoken to them previously, made the rules clear, and now they need a bit of reinforcement that you mean business, its not negotiable (insert whatever infraction that you deem unacceptable). Spanking is not about bullying, its about reinforcing what you expect from your child in a situation you deem so serious you have to make sure its not done again after the verbal direction has failed you. When you do NOT spank as a "standard" way of dealing with unruly behavior, when you actually DO use this tool, the child knows without a doubt that whatever they have done, is a line they do not want to cross again because they see how much more seriously the parents way of dealing with it is.
Quantro
Fri, Apr 16, 2010 : 8:34 a.m.
As others have noted, the effect could well be because bullies are more likely to be spanked. Difficult/oppositional children are likely to receive more disciplinary actions of all sorts, and it is unfair that studies focus on a link between spanking and negative behaviors while neglecting links between other disciplinary actions (like timeouts or grounding) and subsequent negative behaviors. It would be nice to have a lead article highlighting recent findings that question the link between spanking and behavioral problems, such as the following. From Larzelere et al 2010 (http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2431/10/10): "Notwithstanding these limitations, the present study has shown that the strongest causal evidence against customary spanking seems to be due to residual confounding because behaviorally difficult children cause parents to use all disciplinary corrective actions more frequently."
jcj
Fri, Apr 16, 2010 : 8:12 a.m.
Like a number of posters here have said: The best method of teaching varies from child to child. And I would hope that most spankings are to teach! I wonder if any of the following "suffered" spankings. Abraham Lincoln D L Moody Franklin D Roosevelt Billy Graham Golda Meir John F Kennedy Mother Teresa Martin Luther King Rosa Parks Nelson Mandela Indira Gandhi Pope John Paul ll Marie Curie
tracyann
Fri, Apr 16, 2010 : 8:07 a.m.
To me, spanking is a swat on the behind. Just look at the self-centeredness of many teenagers today who were brought up with the "hands-off" approach to parenting. I do not beat my children, nor do I condone violence against children. I absolutely abhor it. A swat on the behind is not violence. I just finished my psychiatric nursing clinical rotation at the Huron Valley Women's Correctional Facility so heard first hand about violence against children, and trust me, it was more than spanking. Time-outs only do so much. WE are the parents, WE guide our children, not the other way around. It's been my experience that those who ended up being the bullies were those whose parents didn't give a crap what their children did and there were no consequences for their actions.
mama247
Fri, Apr 16, 2010 : 7:50 a.m.
Yes, spanking (and all other forms of parental physical violence on a child) will influence a child to hurt others. Children learn from their parents and caretakers, right? Yes, the negative feelings of having been invaded thus lead to children invading others ("weaker", more vulnerable humans and animals) thus. Yes, spanking leads to bullying..... Spanking IS bullying; it is NOT positive teaching. Discipline means teaching.... positively, one would hope. Of course, not all children who have been physically punished by their parents become bullies. Many become more adamant that spanking and bullying are harmful and they refrain.
Shelly
Fri, Apr 16, 2010 : 6:02 a.m.
This study controlled for maternal stress????? How in the world do you do that? I am sure every bully was spanked. And if every child who is spanked turns into a bully there should be a lot more bullies in this world! Every child is different. What works for one child may not work for another, as I see every day in my family.
garrisondyer
Thu, Apr 15, 2010 : 9:56 p.m.
@ Anonymous Due To Bigotry: Well said. I also am skeptical of these conclusions. Also, as a teacher, I'd like to assure you that I always do what I can to stick up for any students getting bullied in my school. I agree, though, that it is frustrating how little seems to be done about how cruel some kids are toward each other.
treetowncartel
Thu, Apr 15, 2010 : 8:37 p.m.
Or is is I meant to say. Life or death is a much different concept than my sister took the magnadoodle. I am not willing to see my child hit by a car in order to prove my point.
treetowncartel
Thu, Apr 15, 2010 : 8:27 p.m.
@ the falcon, if it means my child won' t be roadkill and picked upon by your prey, yes it does
Anonymous Due to Bigotry
Thu, Apr 15, 2010 : 8:06 p.m.
The article fails to mention how much spanking had to occur to observe a statistically significant result. Personally I'm skeptical as to the researchers' ability to control for other variables as they claim, and neither this article nor the linked to article make anything more than very vague claims regarding the statistical relationship. Trying to control for all possible variables in in-vivo studies like this is extremely difficult to fully accomplish. For example, no economists or criminologists have really been able to demonstrate whether the availability of firearms or CCW permits have increased or reduced crime. About all that can be confirmed is that the "blood in the streets" theory (due to CCW "shall issue" laws) simply hasn't come true. Anyway, Perhaps they've done a better job than previous researchers, but that doesn't mean they've necessarily done a complete and sufficient job. I'm very suspicious about any new theories on parenting because my mother in particular believed all the Dr. Spock and other nonsense that was popular at the time and I've been able to trace certain damaging effects because of it. On another note, I think the answer to bullying would be for educators to stop being so tolerant of bullying. When I was little, they absolutely refused to do anything if I reported bullying to them. Claims like this need to be taken seriously and actually investigated.
Peregrine
Thu, Apr 15, 2010 : 7:10 p.m.
I challenge those responding to this thread to take a moment and seriously consider the question: if spanking actually does increase aggressive behavior in children and the likelihood of bullying later, is it still worth doing? As we saw with the last annarbor.com article on spanking, commenters just say what they believe (which justifies their own and often their parents' actions) and make little, if any, attempt to seriously consider the findings of studies. So please just ask yourself, what if....
bg
Thu, Apr 15, 2010 : 7:06 p.m.
The bully I grew up with was insecure - he had a horrible speech impediment and was therefore trying to overcome the fact that he was teased. Another I can think of has life-threatening food allergies and was therefore trying to gain control over his life in other ways.
Edward R. Murrow's ghost
Thu, Apr 15, 2010 : 6:44 p.m.
I'm betting that things parents say and do 24/7 is far more important to a child's development than is an occasional spanking. Check the boards on this website and the vitriol and hatred posted in them, and one can only fear for the children in those households.
genericreg
Thu, Apr 15, 2010 : 5:51 p.m.
No one ever does the study that shows that kids who never got spanked turn into self-righteous, entitled jerks who text while they drive and consider other people's existence to be a sign that the universe wants them to take advantage of others. Oh wait, now I'm going to get accused of being a bully, aren't I?
Sue Talbert
Thu, Apr 15, 2010 : 4:33 p.m.
RuralMom has some excellent points. One of my sore-spots is the definition of 'spanking' being equal to 'hitting'. Spanking is *supposed* to be done with forethought and for the purpose of correction aberrant behaviour; hitting is done in anger and w/o any premeditation. To equate the two dumbs-down the seriousness of hitting and doesn't do justice to those who use spanking as a tool in the parenting toolbox. You might notice I said A TOOL, not THE TOOL. A parent who is proactive and not reactive will have many tools that will speak to their child(ren) - a television psychologist calls it "knowing your kid's currency." Some children respond to a swat on the bum, others respond to a loss of privilege, and still others to a time-out in the bathroom or other safe room in the house. I guess what annoys me more than about anything is the continued attempt to divide parents. We all have the same goal of raising responsible children (presumably); how we go about that goal often differs based on family traditions/needs, history, religious leanings, etc. So why do we let "experts" divide us on topics like these? We listen, argue with each other, and then submit - only to find that they've changed their collective minds somewhere down the road. And in the meantime, we're a divided group of adults who model for our kids that we cannot get along with others who do things differently than we do. :\
treetowncartel
Thu, Apr 15, 2010 : 3:28 p.m.
Positive reinforcement is definitely soemthing to focus on. I agree with RuralMom, spanking is a rarity, but there are rare occasions when the shame associated with it helps get a message across, such as when your child is doing things that are putting their life in danger. Most of the time reasoning through their behavior with them and withholding something from them gives them time to lament over what they have done. A quick call to Santa Clause with an update n their respective naughty and nice list can work at times to.
CountyKate
Thu, Apr 15, 2010 : 3:17 p.m.
Man, do I agree with RuralMom! It does depend on the age of the child and the temperament of the child. Time outs work for some kids, but don't for others. I had one child who would forget he was in a time out because he'd daydream way past the time period. Another one thought two minutes in a time-out was banishment to Siberia. But, when a child puts him- or herself in danger by, say, running into the street, swift and startling punishment is in order. My kids have both been spanked at one time or another and neither one is a bully. They did learn to stay out of the street! Sometimes, a parent sternly saying, "That was unacceptable behavior" is enough. Sometimes another method, such as what RuralMom says about withholding toys or privileges. But, it depends on the child and the offense and no one size fits all. Spanking is not - or shouldn't be - on the same level as hitting or beating. I am SO tired of these alleged "experts" who come up with this stuff. It's so not true.
RuralMom
Thu, Apr 15, 2010 : 2:51 p.m.
Total Hogwash. There are different approaches to everything depending on the severity of the offense. My three kids are completely grown, probably were spanked less than 6 times in their lives, and are not bullies, infact just about the opposite. They were not spanked for everything, just things that they were warned about and someone could get hurt or possible die (such as running into a street). I have much more creative ideas for the run of the mill offenses, spankings are over with in seconds, removing a Playstation or taking away driving priveledges are remembered much longer. Also the temperment of the child has to be considered.
bunnyabbot
Thu, Apr 15, 2010 : 2:08 p.m.
hmm, maybe a lot of bullies were spanked, but maybe a lot of those spanked don't become bullies spanking is only ONE interaction between a parent and child, there are several other interactions that could (or couldn't) make a child become a bully. studies are just ways for people to justify thier idealogies.
Chris
Thu, Apr 15, 2010 : 1:25 p.m.
I'm fine with having a discussion with my 12 year old about behavior and appropriate sanctions/sentence/whatever but that won't work with a 2.5 year old. I don't think parents need to always explain themselves when they mete out punishments. There's a time and place (and opportunity) for all the above ideas.
Lokalisierung
Thu, Apr 15, 2010 : 1:10 p.m.
"No one would accept this argument if we were talking about hitting your spouse or striking a co-worker. In fact when that occurs it is called spousal abuse or assault." I didn't even see this when I originally posted but this is the classic argument and it's totally soft. Adults are adults and have more rights than children do; that is a fact. Children are not adults and do not respond the same way so stop comparing them. Always the goal with people of this opinion is to change the term 'spanking' into 'hitting' to make it sound more violent and evil than it is. I won't go into what that sentence looked like if it said "spaking your spouse is spousal abuse." Giving my spouse a "time out" is called kidnapping or inprisonment and those are serious offenses.
commonsense
Thu, Apr 15, 2010 : 12:48 p.m.
" A child should be allowed to negotiate what the consequence will be..." Wha??? No. Children should *not* be allowed to negotiate the consequences. Allowing a child to negotiate punishments is an abdication of responsibility and failure of the parent. And we criticize government policies that allow corporations to self-police. Sheesh. Oh... and from the cited article: "Occasional gentle spankings from parents do not harm a childs social or emotional development."
Lokalisierung
Thu, Apr 15, 2010 : 12:41 p.m.
Well at least this time the article has some options. The last one just said everything you did mentally damaged your child. The morrman & haller article is typically condecending and read atop their high horse: "Reason #1: I was spanked as a child and I turned out all right. Rebuttal: The very fact that you see hitting another person as okay because you were hit is anindication that something is not all right. Your thinking is askew." Way to captivate me guys.