Sunday, May 16, 2010

Many parents often wonder if spanking is a good idea when discipling their children. It's definitely true that spanking typically yields the immediate results parents often want. However, many researchers suggest that spanking leads to aggressive behavior in children over the long run. In a recent study published in the journal, Pediatrics, researchers at Tulane University provide strong evidence that this may be true.

This study was one of the first to control for other factors that might lead to aggressive behavior in children, such as a mother's depression, alcohol and drug use, spousal abuse, and whether she considered abortion when she was pregnant with the child. After controlling for all these factors, spanking remained a strong predictor of violent behavior. The children who had been spanked were more likely to be defiant, demand immediate satisfaction of their wants and needs, become frustrated easily, have temper tantrums, and lash out physically against other people or animals.

Read full article here: