Introduction
Spanking is a common method used by parents worldwide to punish toddlers and young children. Several studies have established the strategy’s effectiveness in improving child behavior. Most researchers in the US have linked spanking to externalizing and internalizing behavioral problems, including antisocial behavior and increased aggression in young children. While most researchers discourage spanking as a correctional alternative, more needs to be done to establish the behavioral problems associated with spanking in other societies because the existing research is limited to the US and a few high-income countries (Pace et al., 2019). Very little has been done to determine the relationship between spanking and behavior problems in low-income countries. This paper will critically investigate the impact of spanking on children’s behavior using three peer-reviewed articles that have quantitatively evaluated the relationship.
Research Study 1: Spanking and young children’s socioemotional development in low-and middle-income countries
Pace and colleagues investigated the relationship between spanking and socio-emotional development in young children with a specific focus on low and middle-income countries. The research was conducted in 62 low and middle-income countries and involved 215 885 children. From the sample, 95 percent of the countries demonstrated a negative relationship between spanking and the socioeconomic development of young children, while 5 percent of the countries did not show any relationship. Pace and colleagues concluded that spanking was generally more harmful to young children from all socioeconomic backgrounds than was previously known.
Physical punishment takes different forms. For instance, some caregivers spank their children with bare hands, while others spank them with an object (Pace et al., 2019). Irrespective of the different forms of physical punishment employed by parents and caregivers, spanking has been associated with externalizing and internalizing behavioral problems, including antisocial behavior and aggression. In some cases, spanking is associated with antisocial behavior in their adulthood. A survey conducted in Kenya, the Philippines, China, Italy, India, and Thailand linked physical punishment, including spanking, shaking, slapping, and beating up, correlated with high parent and child-reported aggression and anxiety (Pace et al., 2019). Based on their findings, Pace et al. (2019) recommended policy changes regarding corporal punishment at home and educational institutions. Despite the tremendous success of this research, it had several limitations. First, the study used only three items to determine the socioeconomic status of the targeted countries. Secondly, the research used cross-sectional rather than longitudinal data. Typically, longitudinal data would be ideal.
Research Study 2: Spanking and children’s social competence: Evidence from US kindergarten cohort study
Kong (2022) defines corporal punishment as using force to inflict pain to control unwanted behavior. The author acknowledges spanking as the most common method of punishing young children and toddlers, and it involves an older person (caregiver or parent) hitting a toddler or a child on their buttocks with a bare hand (Kong, 2022). Different theories, including self-determination and social learning, suggest that spanking and other forms of corporal punishments negatively affect the child-parent attachment, which results in difficulties managing emotional and social behavior in children and toddlers (Kong, 2022). Spanking undermines children’s ability to socialize with others, a problem that at times persists into adulthood. Most physically punished children express serious issues relating to aggression and anxiety. Kong (2022) acknowledges that spanking does not occur randomly but depends on parent and child characteristics, including the household’s socioeconomic status. The author aimed to investigate the relationship between spanking (alongside other corporal punishments) and children’s socioemotional development and social competence (Kong, 2022). The research made three hypotheses: spanking affects internalized behavior, causing low self–esteem and low interpersonal skills; recent spanking incidences result in increased externalized behavior, resulting in low self-control and low self-interpersonal skills, and the association between spanking and toddler’s social competency remains significant even with minimal spanking.
The research utilized data from the Fall 2010/2011 kindergarten class to draw conclusions and answer the research question. The author found a strong relationship between spanking and low social competence (Kong, 2022). The limitation of this study was that it mainly focused on a small population, which makes it difficult to generalize the findings from a global perspective.
Research Study 3: Dimensions of physical punishment and their associations with children’s cognitive performance and school adjustment
Front and Cage (2018) examined the effects of corporal punishments and physical abuse on children’s school performance, cognitive engagement, and social behavior. The duo studied children aged 8 and 14 years for three years who underwent mild corporal punishment for child abuse from parents, caregivers, and teachers (Front & Cage, 2018). The researchers concluded that corporal punishment, including spanking, adversely affects children’s school performance and cognitive development.
Physical abuse and corporal punishment adversely affect children’s school performance and cognitive development. The researchers made observations from three ethnic groups: white, Hispanic, and Black (Front & Cage, 2018). The main limitation of this research is that the authors considered a small population, which makes it difficult to generalize the findings.
Conclusion
Spanking is the most common form of punishing toddlers and young children. It involves an adult hitting a younger child with their hand on the buttocks. Several researchers have discovered the adverse effects of corporal punishment on a child’s socioemotional behavior, cognitive development, and school performance. Based on the three articles dissected in this essay, spanking does not benefit in correcting toddlers’ and children’s behavior. Instead, it results in externalizing and internalizing behavioral problems, including increased aggression and anxiety.
Reference
Pace, G. T., Lee, S. J., & Grogan-Kaylor, A. (2019). Spanking and young children’s socioemotional development in low-and middle-income countries. Child Abuse & Neglect, pp. 88, 84–95.
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