As a family physician and the parent of two young boys I've been following this story over the last week with interest. First let me state that I think it is outrageous that the government would even presume to interfere with parents in the discipline of their children. Besides that I find it almost (I said almost) as irritating listening to the pundits especially when they use the terms “experts agree” or “the studies show that….” I have yet to see any one issue a challenge to these statements. What experts are they talking about? What studies are they referencing? The proponents of this legislation act as if it is an open and shut case.
Being the nerdy computer addicted physician that I am, I decided today being a slow clinic day to pull up from my favorite research site anything I could find on “spanking.” I was surprised to find that a MEDLINE/textbook search found only two textbook references and 35 journal articles most of which had nothing to do with discipline and if they did were not relevant to the discussion. (Survey and attitude articles). Below is a sampling of what I did find.
Behrman: Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics, 17th ed Chapter 5
Punishment involves issuing a negative stimulus or verbal reprimand, or inflicting physical pain, to reduce or eliminate an undesired behavior. Behavioral research on corporal punishment is inconclusive and conflicting about the long-term impact of spanking on subsequent behaviors such as antisocial actions and aggression. Clearly, physical punishment may be harsh or abusive.
Spanking in early childhood and later behavior problems: a prospective study of infants and young toddlers.
Slade EP - Pediatrics - 01-MAY-2004; 113(5): 1321-30
From NIH/NLM MEDLINE
Authors:
Slade EP; Wissow LS
Abstract:
OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship of spanking frequency before age 2 with behavior problems near time of entry into school. METHODS: Children who were younger than 2 years were followed up approximately 4 years later, after they had entered school. The likelihood of significant behavior problems at follow-up was estimated in multivariate analyses that controlled for baseline spanking frequency and other characteristics. Participants were mothers from a large-scale national study and their children. Statistical analysis included an ethnically diverse sample of 1966 children aged 0 to 23 months at baseline. Two dichotomous indicators of behavior problems were used. The first indicated that maternal rating of child behavior problems exceeded a threshold. The second indicated that a mother met with a school administrator to discuss her child's behavior problems. RESULTS: White non-Hispanic children who were spanked more frequently before age 2 were substantially more likely to have behavior problems after entry into school, controlling for other factors. For Hispanic and black children, associations between spanking frequency and behavior problems were not statistically significant and were not consistent across outcome measures. CONCLUSION: Among white non-Hispanic children but not among black and Hispanic children, spanking frequency before age 2 is significantly and positively associated with child behavior problems at school age. These findings are consistent with those reported in studies of children older than 2 years but extend these findings to children who are spanked beginning at a relatively early age.
Boy! A lot of conclusive evidence there.
I have two wonderful boys seven and nine years old. They were both spanked I think in a calm and lovingly appropriate manner since they were toddlers. Interestingly I seem to have to do it less and less these days.
I would like to relate an anecdote that I will always remember and will continue to tell as this subject arises. I was a third year family practice resident when during our daily lunch conferences our left-leaning medical director brought in a child psychologist. This erudite scholar proceeded to tell us in no uncertain terms how horrific the act of spanking was. Our chief resident was a notorious conservative and challenged him head on. After a few minutes of heated debate our illustrious chief turned to the audience of some 30 young physicians and family practitioners in training and asked a very simple question: "were you spanked regularly as a child?” Every single hand in that room went up. I understand this is anecdotal and bears no scientific merit but it has always stuck in my mind as a counter to the “it will make them violent" "it will make them deviants of society" statements.
She therefore wouldn't know that there's a little problem with hurting an under-three year-old by spanking - that little bottom is usually covered with a diaper or pull-up. The real effect from spanking comes from the humiliation of having their pants pulled down, turned over a knee and spanked, not any pain. But then, not having actually raised kids, she wouldn't understand that either.
We rely on time-out, sitting quietly in a chair alone in a room for one minute per year of age (two minutes is forever to a two year-old), taking away privileges, like TV or allowance, and rewards for good behavior. The only problem is, each child as a toddler tests the system by getting up out of the time out chair and looking at you like "OK, just what are you gonna do about it, Dad?" If you don't spank, you have a huge discipline problem from that day on. If you do spank, the lesson is learned in 1-3 spankings.
Now that our kids are getting older, we can go months or longer between any spankings in our house.