Spanking a toddler can trigger bad behavior later on
A new study finds spanking and other physical discipline techniques continue to have adverse effects on children for far longer than originally thought.
Children spanked when they were as young as 15 months old displayed negative temperament and were less likely to show positive behaviors in the fifth grade and even into their teenage years, researchers at the University of Missouri say. The finding was vastly more pronounced in African-American children than those of European origin.
"How parents treat their children at a young age ... significantly impacts their behavior," says Gustavo Carlo, a study co-author who is a Milsapp professor of diversity at the university and director of its center for family policy and research. "It is very important that parents refrain from physical punishment as it can have long-lasting impacts. If we want to nurture positive behaviors, all parents should teach a child how to regulate their behaviors early,"
Past research has indicated physical punishment can have negative consequences on children's development, but previous studies only examined short-term impacts.