A recent study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal has found that spanking a child can lead to developmental changes in him and even lower his IQ. With the publication of these results, the debate over whether parents should be given the right to discipline their children gets a whole new dimension.
The issue of spanking has long been debated with some considering it to be an ethical issue while others believing that it is the right of the parents. For the current study, researchers from Canada, under the leadership of Dr. Joan Durant, a clinical child psychologist and professor in the Department of Family Social Services at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada, analyzed the results of more than 80 studies done in this field over the past twenty years.
The results of the studies done over the years have been fairly consistent. Almost all the studies show that punishing a child physically can lead to an aggressive behavior, long term developmental issues and a lowering of IQ. Studies done in the recent past have suggested that the areas of grey matter in the brain which are related to intelligence are reduced in size as a result of spanking. It may even lead to depression and substance abuse by the child in the long run.
Even though people debate that spanking may lead to better disciplining of the child, none of the studies provided any evidence to support this hypothesis. Although all the studies have highlighted the negative outcomes of spanking, they have failed to find even a single positive outcome of physical punishment.
Influenced by the results of such studies, about 32 countries in the world have banned any form of corporal punishment. However, it is still prevalent in large parts of the world. The researchers have urged the governments to take stronger measures to curb this menace. Meanwhile, pediatricians can play an important role by explaining to the parents the long term negative effects of spanking their children.
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