Spare The Rod and Spare The Child? New Study Links Spanking To Mental Illness

July 3rd, 2012 - By Brande Victorian

We know what a polarizing topic corporal punishment is and the line between those who do and those who don’t is probably about to get a lot thicker now that a study has claimed to have found a link between being spanked as a child and developing a mental illness as an adult.

In a new study published in the journal Pediatrics, researchers examined data from more than 34,000 adults and found that being spanked significantly increased the risk of developing mental health issues as adults. Specifically, corporal punishment was associated with mood disorders like depression and anxiety, as well as personality disorders and alcohol and drug abuse. According to investigators, as much as 7 percent of adult mental illness may be attributable to childhood physical punishment, including slapping, shoving, grabbing, and hitting. Furthermore, the study concludes that spanking increases the risk of major depression by 41 percent, alcohol and drug abuse by 59 percent, and mania by 93 percent.

Study author Tracie Afifi, PhD, of the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, said in a statement:

“We’re not talking about just a tap on the bum, we were looking at people who used physical punishment as a regular means to discipline their children. [This study] definitely points to the direction that physical punishment should not be used on children of any age.”

For the results the researchers observed, it would seem they were talking about physical punishments far more severe than a parent getting a switch and hitting their child with it, but their analysis excluded individuals who reported more severe punishments such as physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, physical neglect, emotional neglect, or exposure to intimate partner violence. Most of us know someone who was regularly disciplined as a child by spankings and was better off for it (heck, we might even be that person), and as one facetious commenter said on a Yahoo write-up of the study:

“In a related study, children who were given no consequences at all for bad behaviors turned out to be psychopaths, sociopaths, and politicians.”

I think studies like this need to be clear about the line between spanking and beating or physically harming your child. I don’t think physical punishment should always be the first choice of discipline but there are times when it’s needed and there was a time when it was socially acceptable without the threat of being labeled a child abuser because of data like this.

Thankfully, psychologist Robert Larzelere, of Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, provided more of a voice of reason when asked to comment on the study by USA Today. He said:

“Certainly, overly severe physical punishment is going to have adverse effects on children, but for younger kids, if spanking is used in the most appropriate way and the child perceives it as being motivated by concern for their behavior and welfare, then I don’t think it has a detrimental effect.

“[This study] does nothing to move beyond correlations to figure out what is actually causing the mental health problems,” he added criticizing the fact that the study relied on adults’ memories of events from years earlier, adding that it’s not clear when punishment occurred. “The motivation that the child perceives and when and how and why the parent uses [spanking] makes a big difference. All of that is more important than whether it was used or not.”

What do you think about this study? Do you think spanking and physical punishment is dangerous to kids’ psyches?

Brande Victorian is the news and operations editor for madamenoire.com. Follow her on twitter @Be_Vic.

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  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=731986182 Jasmine LuckyDragon Tirado

    I’ve stopped spanking my child…period. And its the best decision I ever made. She’s six now. I realized that she’s person, an individual. You can’t beat grown people if they don’t do what you say. I think it’s better to communicate like a human being

  • CA Pullen

    Spanking does not always work for every child which is true. In some cases, some of these children need a good ole fashion butt whipping to correct some of this foolishness. Spanking can be overdone to the point of abuse. I don’t think it cause mental illness. I still believe in spanking a child.

  • Danisha Howard

    Kids need to know that their the child and your the parent bottom line

  • Hawaiian Breeze

    I just cannot fathom why so many Black folks are resistant to NOT living in dysfunction and treating their kids like punching bags.

  • RedButterfly81

    I find this study a complete BS! I hate it when the government tells us how to raise our children. Kids these days are disrespectful and sad and back in the day it was okay for parents to spank their bad kids in public without threats to call child services on them.

  • Bdazzled

    This comes right from the Bible. Spanking is a hateful language. Kids are really smart and do learn. Teach them new skills. They are learning everyday. If you do things right kids do want to please you. Piss them off, guess what you have an uphill battle.

  • Bdazzled

    He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is careful to discipline him.

    • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=731986182 Jasmine LuckyDragon Tirado

      A women who is raped should marry her rapist. A disobedient child should be stoned. Not ever thing in the bible is valid. Thank god (no pun intended)

  • KC

    It seems to me that the generation of kids who got spanked regularly was the most behaved and polite. Look at the kids in the generation of studies where spankings are bad. They are BAD! RUDE! ETC…ETC… A few good spankings never hurt anybody.

    • Hawaiian Breeze

      Is it possible that the kids who were spanked regularly were ‘behaved and polite’ because they got tired of being hit? Notice that you specifically stated, “spanked regularly”, so wouldn’t that mean the spankings weren’t actually effective if they had to be done on a regular basis?

      • sweettea

        Meh… Whatever works. When my kids grow up they can do what they want but for now I’m handing out whoopins as necessary. Oddly enough as they get older they get hit less and less. Mostly they just need to be talked to and I get results but if they mess up really big they know what’s coming, lecture then spoon, then more lecture, now go to bed.

  • FromUR2UB

    What’s the symptom of mental illness from spankings…good behaaavior? This stuff is usually decided by people who think it’s fine for police officers to beat your kids over the head if they misbehave. As a parent, I chose to spank my kids so no one else would deliver a more severe punishment to them. Pish, posh! This study was probably conducted by asking a kid who’d just gotten spanked what he thought of his punishment…but he didn’t answer. He just had that far away look on his face, as he mumbled to himself trying to elicit sympathy. You know how kids can be dramatic, sometimes. From that, they determined he had gone crazy and spanking kids does that.

  • Ladybug94

    The phrase is “Spare the rod; spoil the child”, and the rod isn’t necessarily spanking, it’s discipline in general. I’m so tired of these stupid studies.

  • IllyPhilly

    Pretty soon, you won’t be able to tell ya kid to take out the trash without it being considered child abuse.

  • http://twitter.com/nicklenation428 Nicky Marie

    I got some whoopings as a child but I always got a big long speech before I received my punishment. Hell, half of the time, the lecture was worse than the whoopin that followed. I believe that I turned out just fine.

    • ieshapatterson

      lol i know right?? whenever i got a sparking(and 9x’s out of 10,i KNEW WHY i was getting one and i deserved it ) my mom would always make me think about what i did and why.i was one of those kids that would push your buttons and then,when the punishment came around,i would try and act stupid.but at the end of the day,i knew that i was wrong and i had to be punished.because my mother,let me understand that every bad act has a consequence,i was more prepared and more respectful,then most of my peers,which would shocked a lot of adults.

    • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=731986182 Jasmine LuckyDragon Tirado

      I feel it should be pointed out that a certain positive outcome, doesn’t prove it’s effectiveness. Just look at the growing gang culture. Spanking didn’t help that go away. maybe other options should be considered rather than shrugged off outright.

  • Mystique

    I work in the juvenile court system and i disagree. There are some bad A** kids out there that need their butts whipped from time to time.

    • KamJos

      I bet you those kids got their butts whooped regularly. Just made them angrier.

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Eliza-Beth/100003391668904 Eliza Beth

      YOu work for the juvenile court system and you still made that ignorant statement? There is no hope for those children. The kids in juvi don’t receive love and attention plus 70% of the time, they are being abused. Hitting them won’t improve that, it makes it worse. What is it about black people that makes us turn away from everything except violence. Try talking to children, they are after all people. If I see someone stealing, am I allowed to slap them? No. SO why is it okay to lay hands on a child?

  • hotbunz

    This is bull shyte I was spanked as a child more kids need it now more then ever.

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Eliza-Beth/100003391668904 Eliza Beth

      So because you are okay everyone should be? I was abused by my father so, does that mean every father will be abusive?

      • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=731986182 Jasmine LuckyDragon Tirado

        exactly

    • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=731986182 Jasmine LuckyDragon Tirado

      yeah.. because it’s help so much up so far. THINK

  • Ash

    My parents spanked me and never told me what I did wrong. I believe this is the reason why I’m indecisive, because I don’t want to make mistakes; I fear the consequences. I also don’t trust others, and I always have a voice in my head telling me to question someone’s actions. I think there’s a link.

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_JAI4SRENU2A5WKRTELXXYJPDSI Kayla

    Please realize that spanking doesn’t work for every child. Different children have different needs. And don’t spank out of anger. Let the child know why he is being spanked. And discipline isn’t always mean taking out your belt.

    • guesswho88

      i agree i think that some children need spankings where some just need a talking to.

  • Ms_Sunshine9898

    I got my butt tore up when I needed it as a child and I turned out just fine. There’s a difference between spanking a child and beating them, and that’s the line that needs to be addressed. Ironically the same people who I grew up with who were disciplined with timeout, nos, and let me take your things away for a while are the main ones who grew up with the attitudes I can do what I want because all I have to do is wait patiently to get my way . . .

    • Mystique

      I agree with you.

    • Hawaiian Breeze

      The classic, “I turned out just fine” argument. There are many kids who DON’T turn out fine.

      • Ms_Sunshine9898

        The classic a few people give it a bad name so everybody is wrong argument. Nice. Please try again. . .

        • Hawaiian Breeze

          I never implied that everyone was wrong. Now, why don’t YOU try again.

          • Ms_Sunshine9898

            “I just cannot fathom why so many Black folks are resistant to NOT living
            in dysfunction and treating their kids like punching bags.” i.e I believe a lot of black parents are taking their anger out their children by beating them instead of disciplining them in a manner I agree with. “Is it possible that the kids who were spanked regularly were ‘behaved and polite’ because they got tired of being hit?” i.e. kids getting spanked are only doing it because they’re afraid of getting hit not because they’re learning that bad actions come with consequences, no pain, no gain. “The classic, “I turned out just fine” argument.There are many kids who DON’T turn out fine.” i.e. if it doesn’t work for everybody, then it’s something wrong, something is not working, it can’t be a form of discipline that works for for some children and not others because some kids are still bad. . . . child stop. Excuses, excuses. Again, the it’s not the same for everybody, so anyone who disagrees with me is wrong excuse. Child please, so it doesn’t work for everybody. Big deal. . .

            • Hawaiian Breeze

              I see that you are trying to insult me by calling me a child. Anyway. All of the examples you listed are based upon opinions of other people, not my actual feelings. Surely, children can be taught that there are consequences for their behavior without there being physical violence. After all, adults can’t walk around ‘spanking’ each other for bad behavior lest they want to be arrested for battery.

              Let us agree to disagree, okay, kiddo?

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