Families Thru International Adoption -- Newsletter -- International Footsteps -- February 2005
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Effects of Corporal Punishment
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Dr. Elizabeth Gershoff did a meta-analytic and theoretical review of the association between parental physical punishment and eleven child behaviors and experiences. Over six decades of research on physical punishment of children was analyzed by Dr. Gershoff. The study was published by the American Psychological Association in Psychological Bulletin 2002. Vol.128, No.4, 539-579. www.apa.org/monitor/sep02/corporal.html

Dr. Murray Straus of the University of New Hampshire Family Research Laboratory has been studying the effects of physical punishment of children for thirty years. Many of his papers can be found at this site: pubpages.unh.edu/~mas2/cp.htm.

Among findings on corporal punishment research:

  • Physical punishment, when administered regularly, increases antisocial behavior such as lying, stealing, cheating, bullying, assaulting a sibling or peers, and lack of remorse for wrongdoing.
  • Physical punishment increases the risk of child abuse.
  • Physical punishment serves as a model for aggressive behavior and for inappropriate ways of dealing with conflict.
  • Physical punishment erodes trust between a parent and child.
  • Physical punishment adversely affects cognitive development.
  • Adults who were hit frequently as children are likely to suffer from depression and other negative social and mental health outcomes.

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