Childhood spanking is linked to adverse physical, psychological, and behavioral outcomes in adolescence

[ReSTART]

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Results:
Lifetime spanking/slapping was independently associated with increased odds of mental health disorders, physical health conditions, and defiant behaviors in adolescence after adjusting for childhood adversities and child maltreatment (unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios ranging from 1.29 to 2.19).

Conclusions:
These findings suggest that lifetime spanking/slapping is uniquely associated with harmful mental, physical, and behavioral outcomes in adolescence, and efforts should focus on its prevention.

 

[Braveheart]

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[LucyL]

Lifetime spanking/slapping was assessed by asking adolescents to self-report using a computerized questionnaire: “How many times did a parent and other caregivers spank you with their hand on your bottom (bum), or slapped you on your hand?” Response categories included never, 1 or 2 times, 3 to 5 times, 6 to 10 times, and more than 10 times. The variable was then dichotomized into 2 categories: 3 times or more versus 2 times or less. Similar to previous studies, spanking 1 or 2 times was grouped with never, given that some parents/caregivers may spank their child once and choose to never do it again.14

Another absolutely worthless psychological "study".

 

[PolishSun]

Any stress brigs bad outcome.

 

[PxD]

This study is very low quality. Read how the data was collected and how it was structured. Useless.

 

[PxD]

Any stress brigs bad outcome.

I think you don't mean that in a literal sense. If you do, you should never do anything that feels even slightly out of your comfort zone.

I think people on this forum misunderstand Peat's recommendation to avoid stress. Yes, there is a psychological component, but for the most part he was writing about cellular and physiological stress, e.g. don't smoke, don't drink, proper nutrition and oxygen metabolism, that kind of stuff.

To me advice taken from studies like this one explains why American children are often badly mannered. No fear of meaningful consequences when boundaries are crossed, so keep pushing the boundaries.

 

[ReSTART]

Another absolutely worthless psychological "study".

How else would you do a study on spanking? I doubt a double-blind placebo-controlled study is possible lol.

 

[equipoise]

I got spanks when I was misbehaving and I was a high-energy, cocky kid so I absolutely deserved it.
Did I like getting spanked? No, there were time a belt was used. And who knows what else.
Is it traumatic for me? Absolutely not. I think it made me a hard man, I got used to getting hit so I was not afraid of getting hit in a way.
Speaking from my own personal experience, it was beneficial for my upbringing.

 

[cupofcoffee]

Honestly i believe that a lack of spanking is way more harmful

 

[hei]

Another absolutely worthless psychological "study".

Are you expecting that breaking out the "spanked once or twice" group would nullify the difference between the never spankeds and the oft-spankeds? As for asking them to self-report, how would you measure it?

 

[gaze]

I got spanks when I was misbehaving and I was a high-energy, cocky kid so I absolutely deserved it.
Did I like getting spanked? No, there were time a belt was used. And who knows what else.
Is it traumatic for me? Absolutely not. I think it made me a hard man, I got used to getting hit so I was not afraid of getting hit in a way.
Speaking from my own personal experience, it was beneficial for my upbringing.

becoming a "hard man" is not something beneficial. hardening, both physically and mentally, is basically aging. the same mechanism happens with calcification. things harden and become ridid. compare the mind of an adult whos been through severe stress and has become rigid, vs the child who floats effortlessly with curiosity. I'd choose the child like mind that is open and sensitive vs hardened.

To me advice taken from studies like this one explains why American children are often badly mannered. No fear of meaningful consequences when boundaries are crossed, so keep pushing the boundaries.

this is in complete opposition to Rays way of thinking regarding human development. what your describing is how people become obedient and develop what's been described as a authoritarian personality by adorno, aka they become boot-lickers.

 

[rei]

How else would you do a study on spanking? I doubt a double-blind placebo-controlled study is possible lol.

Compare those children whose parents have been sentenced for spanking with others? (as is illegal nowadays to spank in many places)

 

[equipoise]

becoming a "hard man" is not something beneficial. hardening, both physically and mentally, is basically aging. the same mechanism happens with calcification. things harden and become ridid. compare the mind of an adult whos been through severe stress and has become rigid, vs the child who floats effortlessly with curiosity. I'd choose the child like mind that is open and sensitive vs hardened.

this is in complete opposition to Rays way of thinking regarding human development. what your describing is how people become obedient and develop what's been described as a authoritarian personality by adorno, aka they become boot-lickers.

i'm more in lines with not being easily offended, not afraid to engage in a fight when needed, a proper male, not feminized version of a man.
now that being said, that doesn't exclude spontaneity and imagination of a kid.
I don't think it's valid to compare a kid to an adult, with all the leverage that adult carries.
I definitely am the last person to kiss someone' behind in order to please, and you can try and twist my words all you want.
I stand by what I said, getting few slaps as a kid is harmless, it teaches respect aswell.

 

[Ben.]

i'm more in lines with not being easily offended, not afraid to engage in a fight when needed, a proper male, not feminized version of a man.
now that being said, that doesn't exclude spontaneity and imagination of a kid.
I don't think it's valid to compare a kid to an adult, with all the leverage that adult carries.
I definitely am the last person to kiss someone' behind in order to please, and you can try and twist my words all you want.
I stand by what I said, getting few slaps as a kid is harmless, it teaches respect aswell.

I can see the value it can have. But saying it is "harmless" is something that i dont think holds true.

It is one thing to get slapped/spanked or put in place a few times a year and it is another to get what gaze described to be slapped the childish joy out of you, becoming a dull/mindless soldier or robot or someone who behaves like a scared animal constantly feared of being hurt again.

There are other factors that take part in the developement. Are you loved and cared for and get an occasional slap or are you psychologically/verbally abused along the physical harm? Are you terrorizied by your family/social circle or do you have the benefits of/priviliges of discovery and developement?


Not everyone learns or comes out of adversity the same way. People in general simplify all of this way to much. Im glad it worked out for you/made or that it you better/confident.

 

[equipoise]

I can see the value it can have. But saying it is "harmless" is something that i dont think holds true.

It is one thing to get slapped/spanked or put in place a few times a year and it is another to get what gaze described to be slapped the childish joy out of you, becoming a dull/mindless soldier or robot or someone who behaves like a scared animal constantly feared of being hurt again.

There are other factors that take part in the developement. Are you loved and cared for and get an occasional slap or are you psychologically/verbally abused along the physical harm? Are you terrorizied by your family/social circle or do you have the benefits of/priviliges of discovery and developement?


Not everyone learns or comes out of adversity the same way. People in general simplify all of this way to much. Im glad it worked out for you/made or that it you better/confident.

well, I was definitely not talking about child abuse or such things rather few slaps to the buttocks being harmless. it's quite in the culture here in eastern europe and of all the things we complain, you dont hear anyone complaining about it, but strongly agree that it did no harm.

 

[opethfeldt]

well, I was definitely not talking about child abuse or such things rather few slaps to the buttocks being harmless. it's quite in the culture here in eastern europe and of all the things we complain, you dont hear anyone complaining about it, but strongly agree that it did no harm.

I'm gonna have to ask you to speak for yourself on this one. I was spanked and definitely think it contributed to my loner personality and trust issues as an adult. When people who are supposed to love and care for you as a child harm you, it breaks your image of your home being the safe haven that it's supposed to be. I never really had a great relationship with my father and I think that mostly stems from the breaking of that trust when I was a kid. We're not living in Sparta. There's no reason to physically discipline kids to make them "hard". Life will do a good enough job of that already.

 

[Jing]

I'm gonna have to ask you to speak for yourself on this one. I was spanked and definitely think it contributed to my loner personality and trust issues as an adult. When people who are supposed to love and care for you as a child harm you, it breaks your image of your home being the safe haven that it's supposed to be. I never really had a great relationship with my father and I think that mostly stems from the breaking of that trust when I was a kid. We're not living in Sparta. There's no reason to physically discipline kids to make them "hard". Life will do a good enough job of that already.

Just curious was the spanking only when you was bad or just random?

 

[opethfeldt]

Just curious was the spanking only when you was bad or just random?

More random but sometimes it was for minor reasons like talking while my parents were on the phone.

 

[equipoise]

More random but sometimes it was for minor reasons like talking while my parents were on the phone.

I am sorry it had such a huge impact on you. I do not mean you are any less of a man for feeling bad about it. I was merely trying to say how its such a minor part of MY upbringing that I would gladly go back and get thousand more slaps than live in this serotonin filled, capitalistic abusive, PUFA ridden, learned helplesness world

 

[Jing]

More random but sometimes it was for minor reasons like talking while my parents were on the phone.

Well that's the problem then , your parents were more on the side of abuse when people talk about spanking kids we mean when a kid Is naughty like you have spoke to them shouted at them taken away things and they still are being a little ***t so you give them a little smack . Not just random smacks.