Another study has found a link between physical discipline and increased risk of aggressive behaviour. The study (http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/peds.2009-2678v1), published in the journal Pediatrics was undertaken by researchers at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine in New Orleans.
Recently Time Magazine reported on the study (http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1981019,00.html#ixzz0ktGxVOP7)
Two thousand, five hundred children were included the study. Their mothers were interviewed. The children who were spanked more frequently at age 3 were more likely to be aggressive by age 5. The Tulane study controlled simultaneously for variables that are likely to confound the association between spanking and later aggression - factors such as acts of neglect by the mother, violence or aggression between the parents, maternal stress and depression, the mother's use of alcohol and drugs, and whether the mother considered abortion while pregnant with the child. While these factors contributed to children's aggressive behaviour at age 5, they could not explain all of the violent tendencies at that age and the positive connection between spanking and aggression remained strong, even after these factors had been accounted for. The study also accounted for varying levels of natural aggression in children. The researchers report that they are confident that it's is not just that children who are more aggressive are more likely to be spanked.
A positive finding of the study was that nearly half the mothers interviewed (45.6%) reporting no spanking in the previous month. 27.9% reported spanking once or twice and 26.5% reported spanking more than twice.
Compared with children who were not hit children who were smacked were more likely to be defiant, demand immediate satisfaction of their wants and needs, get frustrated easily, have temper tantrums and lash out physically against others.
The American Academy of Pediatrics strongly opposes striking a child for any reason http://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/family-dynamics/communication-discipline/Pages/Where-We-Stand-Spanking.aspx