The nation’s leading pediatricians’ group has strengthened its advice against spanking and other physical punishment because of the potential for long-term harm.
In an updated policy released Monday, the American Academy of Pediatrics says that can include aggression, brain changes, substance abuse and suicidal behavior in adulthood.
The academy says research since its 1998 discipline policy led to the update. It says spanking is falling out of favor among parents, especially those with young children. While some parents still believe it can lead to short-term improvements in behavior, studies show spanking is no more effective than non-physical punishment, including timeouts, setting firm limits and establishing unwanted consequences.
The group also suggests putting favorite toys away or reducing screen time.
“Although many children who were spanked become happy, healthy adults, current evidence suggests that spanking is not necessary and may result in long-term harm” the academy advises.
Studies published in the past two decades have bolstered evidence that spanking can make young kids more aggressive and defiant.
Other studies have linked physical punishment in childhood with later brain changes in young adults including reduced gray matter and elevated levels of stress hormones. Suicidal behavior, substance abuse and anger are among other potential long-term consequences of spanking, studies have suggested.
The academy also warns against harsh verbal abuse including shaming kids, citing research linking it with depression and behavior problems in teens.
(AP)
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16 Responses
Where were these pediatricians forty five years ago???????
Leave it to the anti-vaxxers- I’m sure they will consider smacking and hitting to be good parenting. Since we already know that many of them aren’t following the recommended guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatrics
Wow. So we’re finished with the Vaccine debate? Okay good. On to the next crisis.
Yes- where were these doctors 30-40 years ago??
Oh please. I would put down a million dollars the study found the foregone conclusion, the current leftwing approach to parenthood. Pretty soon they’re gonna tell you to make your family a democracy, then they’ll tell you you can’t use the word no, and then….well, I don’t know, but they’ll find something else to turn chinuch on it’s head. Oh, ya, they’ll forbid you from calling your baby he or she until the baby agrees, and site an overwhelmingly convincing pile of garbage to support. If you fall for this lefty talk, you;re nuts. Obviously I don’t mean to whack your kids all the time, but patching does have a place in chinuch when done correctly.
Mangy git shabbos
Young children should not be hit out of anger but for being chutzpadig and fordisregarding rules, like not running into the street.
I have rarely hit my kids, some of them I’ve never hit at all, but after seeing how families with liberal type of “chinuch” from even frum families end up, I’m certainly glad I gave my kids a potch when they needed it.
Whoever follows secular liberal “values” should not surprised when their kids end up doing whatever they please and all the garbage and disregard of mentzlichkeit that comes along with it. They should not be surprised at the drug use and depression and all modern ills that such liberal “chinuch” comes along with. That’s why the doctors need to ask teens when they come for well visits about depression, drug use, etc. because of how this liberal society’s kids end up.
Of course, we need to factor in a person’s bechira for even the best chinuch doesn’t guarantee a child will end up like the parents want, but that does does not make liberal “parenting” a good way to parent.
“Other studies have linked physical punishment in childhood with later brain changes in young adults including reduced gray matter and elevated levels of stress hormones. Suicidal behavior, substance abuse and anger are among other potential long-term consequences of spanking, studies have suggested.'”
I am willing to bet all these cases wherein “spanked” aggressively in ANGER.
while its true that the old time spanking was never a way of chinuch, but the extreme reverse of “never” ever spanking is basically creating a generation of spoiled kids.
I don’t see the better product produced nowadays, what is really happening when kids are sort of ‘out of line’ out of control etc. they just simply get dismissed out of School. In many cases, at least a “threat” of an good old spanking would have helped, but instead the worse is done…
the “STUDIES” are inacurate and irresponsible [just like some therapists] j. they need to do one study for spanking in anger, and another for spanking calmly, with love, and explaining to the child on his level why …..
based on the craziness of American society where perverts roam free and there are unhinged kooks committing mass murders every other day, I would say that part of the problem are these nutty doctors who tell us how to raise our kids incorrectly.
Fortunately we have the talmud and chazal who tell us that it IS important to spank, but within limits. Not when you are boiling with anger, but a kid must know that there is a line that he dare NOT cross….
Rav Shlomo Wolbe O”H wrote that in his book on Chinuch decades ago!
Totally agree with TalmidChochom & Uncle Mo!
I have to agree with eli lev . The first step in understanding a statistic is a multi-variate analysis.
I also have to agree with the other posters who point out even for those who approve of “spanking” the person needs to actually know how to do it properly. And personally I doubt there are any significant number of people who have any proper understanding of the matter.
I find it amusing that people are willing to blame society’s ills on parents not spanking their children.
I spank for chutzpa and lieing only. I have the child wait in his room for ten minute which is worse than the actual spanking. Then I explain to him why he is getting a spanking, after which I bend him over and administer 5 petch on his tuches. I then hug him and give him time to calm down.