In a study, children who were spanked frequently at age three years were 50 per cent more likely to be aggressive two years later than their counterparts who were not spanked.

Catherine A. Taylor, of Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans reported her team’s findings today at the American Public Health Association’s annual convention in San Diego.

“When parents use discipline, they are usually trying to teach their children a lesson and to help their children learn to behave well in both the short and the long term,” Dr Taylor said. “Although spanking may bring about immediate compliance, it may do more harm than good in the long run,” she warned.

In a population-based study of families with young children, Dr Taylor and her colleagues found that frequent use of physical discipline, such as spanking, significantly increased a child’s risk for being aggressive, or for being even more aggressive than the child was initially. They defined frequent as at least a few times in the past month.

Dr Taylor said the study is unique in that it not only takes into account the child’s initial tendencies toward aggressive behaviour at age three, but also other parenting factors that have been linked to child aggression, including other harsh forms of parenting, violence between parents, parental depression, and parental stress.

“Even after taking all of these factors into account, spanking at age three was still predictive of increased risk for child aggression at age five,” Dr Taylor said.

She encourages parents to be “aware of this risk and to choose discipline strategies that are more or equally as effective, but that do not have the potential negative consequences of spanking”.

As a resource on discipline, Dr Taylor recommends parents read the American Academy of Paediatrics’ brochure – What is the best way to discipline my child?” – available at http://www.aap.org/publiced/BR_Discipline.htm

Source: Reuters Health