Spanking
If you know me really well, you know that I have converted to the “no spanking” side of the argument. I used to be for spanking, and used it with my child. However, after attending a seminar* about it (which included a biblical scholar to explain the common verses frequently used to support spanking) and saw some global statistics about the use of spanking, I changed my mind. I did a complete 180 and now promote no corporal punishment.
From that seminar, I have learned that if parents stopped spanking, the research shows that it would increase:
- mental development
- academic performance in elementary school
- chances of completing a university degree
- occupational achievement and income
Another eye-opening statistic was that the larger the percent of children in a nation who were spanked, the larger the percent who hit a dating partner. For example, in Taiwan, the percentage of children who were spanked or hit a lot before age 12 is around 80%, and the assault total is around 40$. By contrast Sweden has about 20% of children spanked, and 20% hitting of a dating partner.
They gave four key reasons why children should NEVER be spanked:
- Spanking is not necessary.
- Spanking has harmful side effects.
- Spanking undermines long term effectiveness of parents
- Contradicts the ideal of the family as a place for love, not violence
And now, some more research has been revealed to further support the “no spanking” idea. A five-year literary research effort was conducted by Scientific American. According to the article, there is a higher correlation between spanking and aggression, anxiety, depression and brain impairment.
If you would like to change your parenting style, give me a call. I have a lot of techniques you can use instead of spanking.
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