Further research associating smacking with negative developmental outcomes
17 November 2013
In a recent article published in the journal Pediatrics (Vol 132, No 5, November 2013), the researchers examined the prevalence of paternal and maternal spanking of children at 3 and 5 years of age and the association between spanking and children’s externalizing behaviour and receptive vocabulary through to age 8. The article concludes that spanking remains a typical rearing experience for American children. The results demonstrate the negative effects of spanking on child behavioural and cognitive development.