An analysis of research on physical punishment of children over the past 20 years found such punishment is potentially harmful to their long-term development.
During that period, a growing body of research clearly indicates children who have experienced physical punishment tend to be more aggressive toward parents, siblings, peers and, later, spouses, and are more likely to develop antisocial behavior.
"Virtually without exception, these studies found that physical punishment was associated with higher levels of aggression against parents, siblings, peers and spouses," wrote Joan Durrant, PhD, of the Department of Family Social Services at the University of Manitoba, and Ron Ensom, a social worker with Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
In a trial of an intervention designed to reduce difficult behavior in children, such behavior declined when parents in more than 500 families were trained to reduce their use of physical punishment.
"Results consistently suggest that physical punishment has a direct causal effect on externalizing behavior, whether through a reflexive response to pain, modeling or coercive family processes," the authors wrote.
Physical punishment is also associated with a variety of mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety and use of drugs and alcohol, according to the authors. Physical punishment may change areas in the brain linked to performance on IQ tests and increase vulnerability to drug or alcohol dependence, as recent neuroimaging studies suggested.
Attitudes toward the use of physical punishment have changed, the authors noted, and many countries have shifted focus to positive discipline of children and have legally abolished physical punishment.
Healthcare practitioners can play an important role in advising parents on constructive approaches to discipline, based on evidence, to enhance children's healthy development. They "have a primary responsibility for translating research and evidence into guidance for parents and children, and they are credible and influential voices for advancing public education and policy concerning population health," the authors wrote.
For example, healthcare practitioners can educate parents on typical childhood behaviors, suggest positive disciplinary approaches and refer patients to public health and parenting programs and other resources.
The study appeared Feb. 6 on the CMAJ website. It is available via subscription or purchase at http://bit.ly/zU5XIE.
During that period, a growing body of research clearly indicates children who have experienced physical punishment tend to be more aggressive toward parents, siblings, peers and, later, spouses, and are more likely to develop antisocial behavior.
"Virtually without exception, these studies found that physical punishment was associated with higher levels of aggression against parents, siblings, peers and spouses," wrote Joan Durrant, PhD, of the Department of Family Social Services at the University of Manitoba, and Ron Ensom, a social worker with Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
In a trial of an intervention designed to reduce difficult behavior in children, such behavior declined when parents in more than 500 families were trained to reduce their use of physical punishment.
"Results consistently suggest that physical punishment has a direct causal effect on externalizing behavior, whether through a reflexive response to pain, modeling or coercive family processes," the authors wrote.
Physical punishment is also associated with a variety of mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety and use of drugs and alcohol, according to the authors. Physical punishment may change areas in the brain linked to performance on IQ tests and increase vulnerability to drug or alcohol dependence, as recent neuroimaging studies suggested.
Attitudes toward the use of physical punishment have changed, the authors noted, and many countries have shifted focus to positive discipline of children and have legally abolished physical punishment.
Healthcare practitioners can play an important role in advising parents on constructive approaches to discipline, based on evidence, to enhance children's healthy development. They "have a primary responsibility for translating research and evidence into guidance for parents and children, and they are credible and influential voices for advancing public education and policy concerning population health," the authors wrote.
For example, healthcare practitioners can educate parents on typical childhood behaviors, suggest positive disciplinary approaches and refer patients to public health and parenting programs and other resources.
The study appeared Feb. 6 on the CMAJ website. It is available via subscription or purchase at http://bit.ly/zU5XIE.
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