Table of contents:
- The negative effect of hitting a child
- 1. Child becomes aggressive
- 2. Children are more likely to be physically abused
- 3. Impaired cognitive development
- 4. Impaired emotional development
- Stop disciplining children by hitting!
Spanking is the most appropriate way to punish children, is it true? Very wrong. Research has shown the negative effects of corporal punishment in children. A 2012 study highlighted the many harmful consequences of spanking a child, and clearly identified that corporal punishment has only one positive outcome, namely immediate short-term compliance. Meanwhile, the resulting negative effects consist of neurological, physical, behavioral, cognitive, emotional and social development indicators.
A 2012 paper containing the results of two decades of corporal punishment research from around the world shows that:
- A number of studies have found that corporal punishment increases the risk of widespread and lasting negative child development outcomes, while no study has found that corporal punishment improves children's developmental health.
- Most of the physical abuse of children occurs in the context of punishment.
- A professional consensus holds that parents should be supported not to abuse children and to take an effective approach to discipline children.
The negative effect of hitting a child
1. Child becomes aggressive
Child spanking is a model of punishment for aggression for children. According to Lynn Namka, EdD., Spanking creates more aggression in children, even though initially it is done to stop the behavior. Children do not always understand the difference between physical aggression that is not allowed (such as hitting and pushing), and the physical aggression they receive as punishment. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, corporal punishment can lead to increased aggression for children in school.
2. Children are more likely to be physically abused
Teens who receive corporal punishment are three times more likely to abuse their own children as adults, according to Murray A. Straus, leader of the 1999 "Corporal Punishment by American Parents" survey. Research by Straus found that only 7% of teens never was beaten physically as an adult, while 24% of teenagers who had been physically abused previously physically abused their child.
Spanking teaches children that it is okay to hurt people, and it can lead them to believe that the way to solve the problem is to hit. According to Ask Dr. Sears, children will continue to think like this into adulthood, causing them to hit their child or partner.
3. Impaired cognitive development
Spanking has a negative impact on cognitive development. A 1998 study by Murray A. Straus and Mallie J. Paschall, entitled "Corporal Punishment by Mothers and Children's Cognitive Development, ”Reveals that children who are hit are less able to keep up with the expected level of cognitive development according to their age. It can even lower their IQ, notes Psychology Today. Hitting children can reduce gray matter (gray connective tissue in the brain), which is an important part of a child's learning ability.
4. Impaired emotional development
Children who are physically punished can be emotionally disturbed. Children who are physically or verbally abused are more likely to show psychological harm, according to Ask Dr. Sears. Additionally, the U.S. The Department of Health and Human Service states that hitting a child is considered physical abuse and can make children feel inferior, brain damage, attention disorders, and substance abuse. This can lead to a lack of social skills, anxiety, and depression as children mature regardless of socioeconomic status or family history.
Stop disciplining children by hitting!
Disciplining children by spanking goes beyond the true form of punishment itself. It also defines a system whereby children are not allowed to participate in their own discipline. Children must understand what they did wrong and how they can make amends.
In early childhood, the brain develops faster than any other organ in the body. This makes early childhood a very sensitive and very important period in brain development. The stress caused by pain and fear of being hit can affect a child's brain development and function, inhibit the natural growth of the brain, and result in lifelong and permanent abnormalities in the brain.
