The Effects of Spanking Defined as hitting a child on the buttocks with an open hand without causing a bruise or physical harm, spanking is a common form of discipline in the United States (Kazdin & Benjet, 2003). Some researchers believe that mild and occasional spanking is not necessarily harmful, especially when used as a backup for other forms of discipline (Oas, 2010).
However, many studies have demonstrated that physical punishment is associated with increased aggressiveness, delinquency, and antisocial behavior in the child (Gershoff, 2002; Knox, 2010; MacKenzie & others, 2012). In one study of almost 2,500 children, those who had been spanked at age three were more likely to be more aggressive at age five (Taylor & others, 2010). Other negative effects include poor paren
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