In NurtureShock, they described some extensive cross-ethnic and international research on spanking by Drs. Jennifer Lansford and Ken Dodge.
Their data suggested that if a culture views spanking as the normal consequence for bad behavior, kids arenât damaged by its occasional use.
To explain this shocker, the scholars suggested that in cultures or communities where spanking is common, parents are less agitated when administering spankings. Spanking almost neverâwhen combined with losing your temperâcan be worse than spanking frequently.
But what about the third option: not spanking them at all?
Unfortunately, thereâs been little study of this, because children whoâve never been spanked arenât easy to find. Most kids receive physical discipline at least once in their life. But times are changing, and parents today have numerous alternatives to spanking. The result is that kids are spanked less often overall, and kids whoâve never been spanked are becoming a bigger slice of the pie in long-term population studies.
One of those new population studies underway is called Portraits of American Life. It involves interviews of 2,600 people and their adolescent children every three years for the next 20 years. Dr. Marjorie Gunnoe is working with the first wave of data on the teens. It turns out that almost a quarter of these teens report they were never spanked.
So this is a perfect opportunity to answer some questions: Are kids whoâve never been spanked any better off, long term? Have you ever been spanked? Do you agree or disagree with this study?
Their data suggested that if a culture views spanking as the normal consequence for bad behavior, kids arenât damaged by its occasional use.
To explain this shocker, the scholars suggested that in cultures or communities where spanking is common, parents are less agitated when administering spankings. Spanking almost neverâwhen combined with losing your temperâcan be worse than spanking frequently.
But what about the third option: not spanking them at all?
Unfortunately, thereâs been little study of this, because children whoâve never been spanked arenât easy to find. Most kids receive physical discipline at least once in their life. But times are changing, and parents today have numerous alternatives to spanking. The result is that kids are spanked less often overall, and kids whoâve never been spanked are becoming a bigger slice of the pie in long-term population studies.
One of those new population studies underway is called Portraits of American Life. It involves interviews of 2,600 people and their adolescent children every three years for the next 20 years. Dr. Marjorie Gunnoe is working with the first wave of data on the teens. It turns out that almost a quarter of these teens report they were never spanked.
So this is a perfect opportunity to answer some questions: Are kids whoâve never been spanked any better off, long term? Have you ever been spanked? Do you agree or disagree with this study?
