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

[Scott C.]

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.

The study results may be accurate. There are a lot more parenting factors, however, that affect the child good or bad, such as yelling, positive reinforcement, parental example, physical affection, and on and on. Is there a correlation between spanking and other forms of discipline? Is a parent who spanks more likely to yell and to generally be less patient? Is it the yelling or the spanking that has the negative impact detected in the survey?

I don't belittle people who spank as you seem to. But I came to the conclusion as I raised six little ones that spanking doesn't help.

 

[Sunstone]

I don't belittle people who spank as you seem to.

It's not my intention to belittle people who spank, but I am indeed frustrated with knee-jerk dismissals of science, whether that is the science of spanking, climate change, evolution, vaccination, or any other science. I can understand reasonable skepticism. But I rapidly approaching zero tolerance for obvious denalism.

 

[BSM1]

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.

Amen!

 

[Quintessence]

A few things from the article:

A total of 111 unique effect sizes were derived from data representing 204,410 child measurement occasions; these studies included data from a total of 160,927 unique children.

...

In childhood, parental use of spanking was associated with low moral internalization, aggression, antisocial behavior, externalizing behavior problems, internalizing behavior problems, mental health problems, negative parent–child relationships, im- paired cognitive ability, low self-esteem, and risk of physical abuse from parents. In adulthood, prior experiences of parental use of spanking were significantly associated with adult antisocial behavior, adult mental health problems, and with positive attitudes about spanking. The remaining four meta-analyses were not significantly different from zero. The 13 statistically significant mean effect sizes ranged in size from .15 to .64. The overall mean weighted effect size across all of the 111 study-level effect sizes was d .33, with a 95% confidence interval of .29 to .38; this mean effect was statistically different from zero, Z = 14.84, p = .001.

[GALLERY=media, 7436]Study1 by Quintessence posted Apr 27, 2016 at 11:21 AM[/GALLERY]

 

[BSM1]

One question: How many of you responding to this thread have raised children?

 

[Revoltingest]

One question: How many of you responding to this thread have raised children?

Only 2.
Spanked 1 once as young toddler.
It worked.
Never did it again.

 

[BSM1]

So it’s a valid tool for adults who have responsibility for other adults (managers, lecturers, police officers etc.)?

I believe we were discussing child raising.

 

[BSM1]

Only 2.
Spanked 1 once as young toddler.
It worked.
Never did it again.

Same here. Raised 2 boys. Both experience one spanking in their lives and it was their choice (as opposed to other forms of punishment). They are both normal, happy adults.

 

[Quintessence]

One question: How many of you responding to this thread have raised children?

My apologies, but anecdotal tales of people who have raised children is pretty low on the weight of evidence compared to a meta-analysis of 160,927 children done with proper scientific methodology.

 

[BSM1]

My apologies, but anecdotal tales of people who have raised children is pretty low on the weight of evidence compared to a meta-analysis of 160,927 children done with proper scientific methodology.

God help us!

 

[Sunstone]

One question: How many of you responding to this thread have raised children?

Of course it would irrational to assert that raising children gives one any special insight into the reliability or accuracy of the mega-study that is the topic of this thread.

 

[Revoltingest]

My apologies, but anecdotal tales of people who have raised children is pretty low on the weight of evidence compared to a meta-analysis of 160,927 children done with proper scientific methodology.

I thought his question was just out of curiosity.
But enuf anecdotes can amount to evidence.

 

[Quetzal]

I thought his question was just out of curiosity.
But enuf anecdotes can amount to evidence.

Perhaps, but a personal success story or two on here to support a biased position does not come close to 160k that were studied in the report.

 

[Quintessence]

I thought his question was just out of curiosity.

I'd like to believe that, but in this case, I can't.

But enuf anecdotes can amount to evidence.

Oh, yes, anecdotes are a form of evidence, absolutely! Yet, when anecdotes are asked for in an attempt to disprove more rigorous scientific methodology that has less bias in it, I have some issues with that.

This isn't in response to you in particular Rev, but perhaps one issue here is the pro-spanking crowd don't quite get what studies like this are saying. When we talk about risk analysis, it's speaking of the probability of harm given exposure. The studies are not saying "if you spank your kids, they will turn out maladjusted." What they are saying is that it is a risk factor that increases the probability of various negative outcomes. There will be kids who do fine in spite of being spanked, but what the studies are saying is that it's a significant risk factor for these various negative outcomes.

 

[Revoltingest]

Perhaps, but a personal success story or two on here to support a biased position does not come close to 160k that were studied in the report.

I certainly wouldn't disagree.

 

[Revoltingest]

I'd like to believe that, but in this case, I can't.

Perhaps he'll state his intent, eh?

Oh, yes, anecdotes are a form of evidence, absolutely! Yet, when anecdotes are asked for in an attempt to disprove more rigorous scientific methodology that has less bias in it, I have some issues with that.

This isn't in response to you in particular Rev, but perhaps one issue here is the pro-spanking crowd don't quite get what studies like this are saying. When we talk about risk analysis, it's speaking of the probability of harm given exposure. The studies are not saying "if you spank your kids, they will turn out maladjusted." What they are saying is that it is a risk factor that increases the probability of various negative outcomes. There will be kids who do fine in spite of being spanked, but what the studies are saying is that it's a significant risk factor for these various negative outcomes.

FWIW, I'm not pro-spanking.

 

[bobhikes]

Might be it... try this...
https://www.dropbox.com/s/n8e6upm8ldpyuoy/StudyPDF.pdf?dl=0

Thank you,

There conclusion,
Conclusion

Spanking children to correct misbehavior is a widespread prac-
tice, yet one shrouded in debate about its effectiveness and even its
appropriateness. The meta-analyses presented here found no evi-
dence that spanking is associated with improved child behavior
and rather found spanking to be associated with increased risk of
13 detrimental outcomes. These analyses did not find any support
for the contentions that spanking is only associated with detrimen-
tal outcomes when it is combined with abusive methods or that
spanking is only associated with such outcomes in methodologi-
cally weak studies. Across study designs, countries, and age
groups, spanking has been linked with detrimental outcomes for
children, a fact supported by several key methodologically strong
studies that isolate the ability of spanking to predict child out-
comes over time. Although the magnitude of the observed associ-
ations may be small, when extrapolated to the population in which
80% of children are being spanked, such small effects can translate
into large societal impacts. Parents who use spanking, practitioners
who recommend it, and policymakers who allow it might recon-
sider doing so given that there is no evidence that spanking does
any good for children and all evidence points to the risk of

The numbers will take me a month to understand and verify,
My problems with the study no comparison with detrimental affects of other ways to parenting only slapping and abuse. Time out(which is isolation) can be worse.
These are studies that where already done and are just looking at others data differently.

They list a whole bunch of problems of their own like:
All studies require the adults to remember how much spanking.
Children with problems may be spanked more IE they are already detrimentally effected.

Any correction to a child is going to detrimentally effect them. They are going to realize that something they want is not allowed and be hurt and mad about it. Not the correction but how you make them understand the reason for the correction is the important part.

I have 2 boys. In general I do not use corporal punishment but at times I do. If they do something that can get them hurt. I try to correct it other ways first. If the other methods usually 2 tries unless there is an urgency, I will use another method and crack them on their hand using pain as a reminder explaining such.

You should never hit out of anger, and you should never hit where you can do harm but corporal punishment can be as useful as any other punishment and all punishment is detrimental but necessary.

 

[Quetzal]

My problems with the study no comparison with detrimental affects of other ways to parenting only slapping and abuse.

That isn't within the scope of this particular study.

Thank you,

There conclusion,
Conclusion

Spanking children to correct misbehavior is a widespread prac-
tice, yet one shrouded in debate about its effectiveness and even its
appropriateness. The meta-analyses presented here found no evi-
dence that spanking is associated with improved child behavior
and rather found spanking to be associated with increased risk of
13 detrimental outcomes. These analyses did not find any support
for the contentions that spanking is only associated with detrimen-
tal outcomes when it is combined with abusive methods or that
spanking is only associated with such outcomes in methodologi-
cally weak studies. Across study designs, countries, and age
groups, spanking has been linked with detrimental outcomes for
children, a fact supported by several key methodologically strong
studies that isolate the ability of spanking to predict child out-
comes over time. Although the magnitude of the observed associ-
ations may be small, when extrapolated to the population in which
80% of children are being spanked, such small effects can translate
into large societal impacts. Parents who use spanking, practitioners
who recommend it, and policymakers who allow it might recon-
sider doing so given that there is no evidence that spanking does
any good for children and all evidence points to the risk of

The numbers will take me a month to understand and verify,
My problems with the study no comparison with detrimental affects of other ways to parenting only slapping and abuse. Time out(which is isolation) can be worse.
These are studies that where already done and are just looking at others data differently.

They list a whole bunch of problems of their own like:
All studies require the adults to remember how much spanking.
Children with problems may be spanked more IE they are already detrimentally effected.

Any correction to a child is going to detrimentally effect them. They are going to realize that something they want is not allowed and be hurt and mad about it. Not the correction but how you make them understand the reason for the correction is the important part.

I have 2 boys. In general I do not use corporal punishment but at times I do. If they do something that can get them hurt. I try to correct it other ways first. If the other methods usually 2 tries unless there is an urgency, I will use another method and crack them on their hand using pain as a reminder explaining such.

You should never hit out of anger, and you should never hit where you can do harm but corporal punishment can be as useful as any other punishment and all punishment is detrimental but necessary.

Not all punishments cause harm (which is the definition of detrimental). Again, whatever you use to justify your own actions is your own. Just know that there are an overwhelming number of data sets that disagree.

 

[bobhikes]

That isn't within the scope of this particular study.

Not all punishments cause harm (which is the definition of detrimental). Again, whatever you use to justify your own actions is your own. Just know that there are an overwhelming number of data sets that disagree.

Please list the punishments that do not cause harm and the studies supporting its.

If you read through the article there is one study that showed a positive effect of corporal punishment but it didn't meet there qualifications to be included.

 

[LuisDantas]

Are you on a college or university wifi? I can't see the free PDF either.

Nor can I.