Parenting - The Owners Manual

In California this month, Spanking has become a political issue as a bill has been presented to make spanking any child under age 3 a crime. Some parents are outraged as others are in full support of the possible legislation. So today I thought I would inform you of what spanking really does.

Violence begets violence. That is a proven fact. And parents who resort to hitting their child instead of using some type of positive discipline are creating a dichotomy in the way their child looks at the world.

Children who fear their parent's wrath become insecure and create a belief that they can't trust even those who profess to love them most. Here are a few statistics to ponder:

A new study shows that disciplining children by spanking puts youngsters at risk for becoming aggressive, antisocial (psychopathic), and chronically defiant, the Washington Post reported.

In addition, study author Elizabeth Gershoff, a researcher at Columbia University's National Center for Children in Poverty, found that spanking is linked to delinquency and a failure to learn right from wrong.

Gershoff said "The bottom line is that corporal punishment is associated with numerous risks for children,. I would argue parents should to the best of their ability avoid using corporal punishment and instead use nonphysical and more positive types of discipline that we know are effective."

Gershoff analyzed 88 studies over 62 years to determine the effects of spanking on 11 child behaviors. Apart from immediate compliance, the research showed that spanking had negative effects on other behaviors.

Links to full articles:

Spanking Leads to Bad Behavior

10 Reasons Not to Hit Your Child

Discipline at Home

Sexual Dangers of Spanking Children