A spanking every now and then is good, is it educational? Science's answer is no. In fact, this method is absolutely counterproductive
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"A spanking every now and then is good, it's educational". This is a phrase that is still often heard today even if it has now been proven how much this practice is actually counterproductive. Spanking children makes them less obedient, predisposes them to aggression and antisocial attitudes.
According to the data in the possession of Unicef around the world as many as 80% of parents use spanking as an educational method. According to a review of several studies, conducted involving a sample of 160 thousand children over 50 years, it was found that the results obtained following the application of this punishment are actually completely opposite to what was hoped for.
Spanked children are less inclined to obey and instead choose to get in much more often competition or a real challenge with one's parents. Furthermore, according to the study, they are generally more prone to antisocial, aggressive behaviors and even, in the most serious cases, the risk of mental problems or cognitive disorders.
The researchers at the University of Texas at Austin were particularly convinced of the results obtained and their meta-analysis published in the Journal of Family Psychology. The Dr. Grogan-Kaylor, one of the authors, reminds us that:
“Spanking has the opposite effect of what parents usually want to achieve. We, as a society, think of spanking and physical abuse as different behaviors. In fact, our research shows that spanking is associated with same negative effects on the child that abuse is associated with, just at a slightly lower level".
So, in summary, with the violence disguised as an educational method (even if armed with the best of intentions), nothing good is achieved. We try to remind ourselves of this when our children have a tantrum or misbehave by choosing to intervene in another way.
Here are some tips that can be useful in managing the little ones.
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