Risks of harm from spanking confirmed by analysis of 5 decades of research

[Sunstone]

I see a vast difference between "spanking" and a "swat", the former of which we didn't do to our children but the latter we did on occasions?

The study defines spanking as an open-handed slap to the buttocks or other extremities -- and your "swats" sound a whole lot like the study's "spanking" to me.

Ever try to have a rational discussion with a one-year old? Children have the remarkable ability to turn off the sound coming from parents' mouths, so talk, talk, and more talk sometimes amounts to no change in behavior.

Please understand: The study found that spanking is statistically linked to negative mental health issues and anti-social behaviors in people who've been spanked. The findings would remain the same even if you had every reason in the world to spank your children.

 

[Quetzal]

They can be, but how much is nature and how much is conditioned? Or even more deconstructed, how much is indoctrinated and how much is adopted by the child from spending majority time in the same household/tribe/family?

Parents would love to see their child(ren) presented to the world as evidence that they themselves are moral and responsible people. Yet children are humans just like all the rest of us and grow, evolve, learn, reflect, and **** up over the course of 18 years before this society grants them adulthood. The hard truth is that our kids, once grown, go their own way regardless of what we do or don't do. We can choose to think their choices are reflections of us morally or not, but if we do, that's a path that can spiral out of control very very quickly into the depths of our own ego.

I think it there is a balance in there somewhere. I would be confident saying that there is a large part of their development that occurs due to the direct influences of their immediate family. But I also think it is fair to say that it is not all of who they are. If that makes sense...

 

[Father Heathen]

#spankedbottomsmatter

 

[LuisDantas]

The meta-study carefully singled out spanking (which in the study was pretty much defined as an open-handed slap on the backsides) from other forms of physical abuse and still found that spanking significantly increased a child's chances of having poor mental health, and also did little to get a child to comply with his or her parent's commands.

I could tell you as much.

 

[MysticSang'ha]

I think it there is a balance in there somewhere. I would be confident saying that there is a large part of their development that occurs due to the direct influences of their immediate family. But I also think it is fair to say that it is not all of who they are. If that makes sense...

It does. As it falls under the nurture umbrella of child development. My perspective though is how much parents live vicariously through their children's behavior and how they are presented to the world as evidence of their own value. Which explains how fiercely parents will defend their choices regardless of any evidence to the contrary.

 

[metis]

The study defines spanking as an open-handed slap to the buttocks or other extremities -- and your "swats" sound a whole lot like the study's "spanking" to me.



Please understand: The study found that spanking is statistically linked to negative mental health issues and anti-social behaviors in people who've been spanked. The findings would remain the same even if you had every reason in the world to spank your children.

I would suggest that a one-size-fits-all approach on this really doesn't work out too well. Yes, I can understand some basis behind such a study and its results, but I think such a study can all too easily be misconstrued so as to condemn any sort of physical punishment.

After raising three "kids" and helping with six grandkids, I can live with what we did, and I have seen many cases whereas parents might have been better off using a swat versus beating their kids up verbally. I have seen all too many cases whereas patents were at wits end because Junior just won't listen to them or obey them.

 

[Sunstone]

I would suggest that a one-size-fits-all approach on this really doesn't work out too well. Yes, I can understand some basis behind such a study and its results, but I think such a study can all too easily be misconstrued so as to condemn any sort of physical punishment.

I don't think it's a misconstruel of the study to say that it condemns physical punishment.

After raising three "kids" and helping with six grandkids, I can live with what we did, and I have seen many cases whereas parents might have been better off using a swat versus beating their kids up verbally. I have seen all too many cases whereas patents were at wits end because Junior just won't listen to them or obey them.

The fact you found it necessary to physically discipline your kids and grandkids does nothing to change the study's findings that you thereby put them at greater risk of mental health disorders and anti-social behaviors while not significantly increasing the likelihood that they would comply with your orders.

 

[bobhikes]

A new meta-study of 50 years of research into the effects of spanking has confirmed that "...spanking was associated with negative outcomes consistently and across all types of studies, including those using the strongest methodologies such as longitudinal or experimental designs."


Please discuss.

I find it funny all this talk about spanking detrimental to the children as if it is the worse thing a parent can do.

My father spanked my mother used psychological torture. When I went to therapy all we talked about was my mother. Parents do far worse but spanking is what we need to stop. We need to teach parents proper methods of raising children not just tell them you are bad and may go to jail because you spank. Don't tell me time outs and the other physiological babble works because either you need a phd to do it properly or it fails miserably for most parents, which end up with unruly children. Lastly mother nature has no problem using physical punishment to teach you a lesson, nor the government in basic training and prison. So you are not preparing you children for the realities of the world by not spanking.

 

[Sunstone]

I find it funny all this talk about spanking detrimental to the children as if it is the worse thing a parent can do.

My father spanked my mother used psychological torture. When I went to therapy all we talked about was my mother. Parents do far worse but spanking is what we need to stop. We need to teach parents proper methods of raising children not just tell them you are bad and may go to jail because you spank. Don't tell me time outs and the other physiological babble works because either you need a phd to do it properly or it fails miserably for most parents, which end up with unruly children. Lastly mother nature has no problem using physical punishment to teach you a lesson, nor the government in basic training and prison. So you are not preparing you children for the realities of the world by not spanking.

Rationalize it however you like, your comments do nothing to undermine the study's findings that spanking children puts them at risk of mental health issues and anti-social behaviors, while doing little or nothing to insure their compliance with your commands.

But of course, that pales in comparison to "preparing children for the realities of the world". LOL!

 

[Quetzal]

I find it funny all this talk about spanking detrimental to the children as if it is the worse thing a parent can do.

But no one is saying that. Again, you and your forced outlier fallacies, do yourself a favor and don't do it.

Lastly mother nature has no problem using physical punishment to teach you a lesson, nor the government in basic training and prison.

Not even remotely close to the same thing we are discussing.

 

[Quintessence]

This has been known for a while, and it'll continue to get ignored. C'est la vie.

 

[Sunstone]

This has been known for a while, and it'll continue to get ignored. C'est la vie.

Indeed.

 

[HonestJoe]

I have seen all too many cases whereas patents were at wits end because Junior just won't listen to them or obey them.

If it’s reached that point, I’m not convinced physical punishment is going to make any long-term difference. Also, parents “at their wits end” are less likely to make good judgements about how to use it. The idea of physical punishment as a last resort actually seems like the worst possible context for it.

 

[bobhikes]

Rationalize it however you like, your comments do nothing to undermine the study's findings that spanking children puts them at risk of mental health issues and anti-social behaviors, while doing little or nothing to insure their compliance with your commands.

But of course, that pales in comparison to "preparing children for the realities of the world". LOL!

Yes a study with no statistics just vague reference and 13 out of 17 have detrimental results with no explanation of detrimental clearly written with a bias.

 

[Quintessence]

It seems to me that hitting someone is more of a vent for the parent than to help the child.

Though I also have to wonder about the role of verbal abuse. Don't see as much discussed about that, and verbal abuse is at least as bad, I would imagine?

 

[bobhikes]

But no one is saying that. Again, you and your forced outlier fallacies, do yourself a favor and don't do it.


Not even remotely close to the same thing we are discussing.

I have fallacies, where are your facts they aren't in the article its an opinion piece.

 

[Quetzal]

Yes a study with no statistics just vague reference and 13 out of 17 have detrimental results with no explanation of detrimental clearly written with a bias.

The article was written citing a journal which does have statistics, citations, etc. Here you go:
http://psycnet.apa.org/psycarticles/2016-17153-001

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Harmful and ineffective? Seems to be a good fit for many people.

 

[Quetzal]

I have fallacies, where are your facts they aren't in the article its an opinion piece.

Already addressed (from the bottom of the "opinion" piece): http://psycnet.apa.org/psycarticles/2016-17153-001

 

[Sunstone]

Yes a study with no statistics just vague reference and 13 out of 17 have detrimental results with no explanation of detrimental clearly written with a bias.

That is a striking misrepresentation of a mega-study of 50 years of research into the issue of spanking. Good god, even by the sloppiest intellectual standards imaginable, your characterization of the study stands out for being misleading.