Spanking and Child Outcomes: Old Controversies and New Meta-Analyses

Spanking and Child Outcomes: Old Controversies and New Meta-Analyses: Published in the Journal of Family Psychology in April 2016, this analysis of 50 years of research finds no evidence that spanking does any good for children; instead, spanking (often perceived as distinct from physical abuse) is linked with the same negative child outcomes as abuse, just to a slightly lesser degree. This most complete analysis to date of the outcomes associated with spanking finds the more children are spanked, the more likely they are to defy their parents and to experience increased anti-social behaviour, aggression, mental health problems and cognitive difficulties. The findings are included in the Global Initiative’s review of research on the impact of corporal punishment (see above).