Spanking and Child Development

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There is overwhelming evidence over the last decade that spanking children can be harmful to child development. The Public Health Agency of Canada advises against spanking because it creates distrust in the child-parent relationship and can create resentment. Joan Durrant of the University of Manitoba advises against corporal punishment because it creates aggressive behavior into adult hood and anti-social behavior (CBC Television, 2012).

With all the figures I have read, some as high as 81% in polls (Moninger, 2012) parents have admitted to spanking their child. If the numbers are true, that would mean that as much as 80% percent of some populations are aggressive, anti-social criminals. It just doesn’t ring true to me. Is it possible that the statistics related to spanking are speaking to corporal punishment gone wrong?

I believe that the children that are negatively affected by spanking are the ones who are spanked unnecessarily or excessively. That is what constitutes as abuse and I believe the bigger issue is child abuse and not spanking. I believe more education should be provided to parents who chose to spank. Parents should be educated on how to determine the difference between child abuse and spanking. If the government still believes that the law is constitutional then why not provide the necessary tools to defend parents decisions?

Do you believe that spanking effects a child’s mental development? Feel free to comment below.

References

Canadian Children's Rights Council (1998-2014) 'Right to spank' law called public health threat February 26^th, 2012 from http://www.canadiancrc.com/Spanking-Corporal_Punishment_Canada_Laws_Statistics_Studies-Children/Spanking-Corporal_Punishment_Children_Canada-Right_to_Spank_Public_Health_Threat_study_06FEB2012.aspx

Parents Magazine (2012) The Great Spanking Debate by Jeanette Moninger January 2012 from http://www.parents.com/toddlers-preschoolers/discipline/spanking/spanking-discipline-debate/