Where We Stand: Spanking
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends healthy forms of discipline, such as positive reinforcement of appropriate behaviors, limit setting, redirecting, and setting future expectations. The AAP recommends that parents do not use spanking, hitting, slapping, threatening, insulting, humiliating, or shaming.
Here's Why:
Corporal punishment of children younger than 18 months of age increases the likelihood of physical injury.
Repeated use of corporal punishment may lead to aggressive behavior and altercations between parent and child and may negatively affect the parent-child relationship.
Corporal punishment is associated with increased aggression in preschool and school-aged children.
Experiencing corporal punishment makes it more, not less, likely that children will be defiant and aggressive in the future.
Corporal punishment is associated with an increased risk of mental health disorders and cognition problems.
The risk of harsh punishment is increased when the family is experiencing stressors, such as family economic challenges, mental health problems, intimate partner violence, or substance abuse.
Spanking alone is associated with adverse outcomes, and these outcomes are similar to those in children who experience physical abuse.
Additional Information:
What's the Best Way to Discipline My Child?
10 Tips to Prevent Aggressive Toddler Behavior
15 Tips to Survive the Terrible 3's
How to Shape and Manage Your Young Child's Behavior
How to Give a Time-Out
Effective Discipline to Raise Healthy Children (AAP Policy Statement)
-
When a baby starts to cry for no apparent reason, it can be hard to know just how to comfort him. First, make sure the baby is not wet or hungry. If neither of those problems is the case, try soothing methods to calm down your fussy baby. Once youve
-
Even if their intentions are good, some aggressive or intimidating parenting techniques cross the line from strict guidance to bullying. A father might berate his child for not finishing his chores. A mother might pressure a teacher to give her child
-
This week, the reality of remote schooling settled in for families across America. I reached out to a few friends who have kids in all age groups—lower, middle, and upper school, plus one preschooler. Some are in apartments w
