Poor Parenting Can Be Passed From Generation to Generation: Study

"They found that the more adverse childhood experiences a person had, the more likely their children were to be troubled, too.

The findings suggest that poor parenting is handed on from one generation to the next, said Anne-Marie Conn, a researcher at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

Spanking and beating are two examples, Conn said.

"Parents with multiple adverse events were more likely to value corporal punishment," she told NBC News. A study published last week found that even gentle spanking, with an open hand, can backfire and cause kids to misbehave — yet American parents overwhelmingly believe it's good for kids."