MONDAY, July 2 (HealthDay News) –
Spanking or slapping your children may increase the odds that they will
develop mental health issues that plague them in adulthood, a new study
suggests.
Researchers in Canada found that up to 7 percent of a range of mental
health disorders were associated with physical punishment, including
spanking, shoving, grabbing or hitting, during childhood.
“We’re not talking about just a tap on the bum,” said study author
Tracie Afifi, an assistant professor in the department of community health
sciences at the University of Manitoba, in Winnipeg.
“We were looking at people who used physical punishment as a regular means
to discipline their children.”
Corporal punishment was associated with increased odds of anxiety and
mood disorders, including major depression, panic disorder, post-traumatic
stress disorder, agoraphobia and social phobia. Several personality
disorders and alcohol and drug abuse were also linked to physical
punishment, the researchers found.
“What’s really important is to know that spanking and other forms of
physical punishment come at a cost,” said Afifi. “Physical punishment
should not be used on children at any age under any circumstances.”
While the study finds an association between physical punishment and
mental illness, it does not prove that one causes the other.
Previous studies have linked physical punishment to aggression in
children, delinquency and emotional, developmental and behavioral
impairment. But this study examined its effects on mental health in the
absence of more severe physical abuse, sexual abuse or other forms of
neglect and mistreatment.
For the study, published online July 2 in the journal
Pediatrics, the researchers used 2004-2005 data on about 34,000
individuals aged 20 or older gathered from the U.S. National Epidemiologic
Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Participants were questioned
face-to-face and asked, on a scale of “never” to “very often,” how often
they were ever pushed, grabbed, shoved, slapped or hit by their parents or
another adult living their home. Those who reported “sometimes” or greater
were considered as having experienced harsh physical punishment.
About 6 percent of respondents were considered to have suffered harsh
physical punishment. Boys, blacks and those from more educated, more
affluent families were most likely to report such abuse, the researchers
said.
The researchers adjusted the data to take into account
socio-demographic factors and any family history of dysfunction.
Thirty-two countries prohibit physical punishment of children by
parents or caregivers, but the practice is legal in the United States and
Canada, according to background information in the study. The American
Academy of Pediatrics strongly recommends against the use of physical
punishment as a form of child discipline.
Nevertheless, the researchers say a survey of U.S. adults showed that
48 percent of respondents reported a history of harsh physical punishment
without more severe abuse. A 2010 University of North Carolina study
revealed that nearly 80 percent of preschool children in the United States
are spanked.
Some experts support the notion that harsh discipline can negatively
affect kids but express concerns about the specific implications of this
new study.
“While it’s a well-done study, looking at a national data sample, there
are limitations in the way the study was done,” said Dr. Andrew Adesman,
chief of developmental and behavioral pediatrics at Steven and Alexandra
Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New Hyde Park, N.Y. “There are
limitations to relying on adults recalling childhood experiences, and it’s
hard to control for familial psychopathology.”
Adesman added that while the research reinforces that there are now
more good reasons not to use physical punishment, “we can’t infer that
physical punishment leads to major psychological disorders.”
Still, Adesman said the public needs more education about the dangers
of physical punishment to children and the alternatives that parents can
effectively use.
“There’s a general presumption that parenting comes naturally, but
there are things people need to learn. We have PSAs [public service
announcements] about all kinds of health issues, but I’ve yet to hear any
tips for providing non-physical punishment to children.”
More information
The American Academy of Pediatrics offers tips on disciplining children.
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