Disciplining
young children is what parents are supposed to do — most moms and dads
have no trouble agreeing with that. But should the punishment include
spanking? As many parents can attest, few disciplinary measures
stop a child from misbehaving as quickly as a swift smack or two on the
bottom. But in a new study published in Pediatrics,
researchers at Tulane University provide the strongest evidence yet that
children's short-term response to spanking may make them act out more
in the long run. Of the nearly 2,500 youngsters in the study, those who
were spanked more frequently at age 3 were much more likely to be
aggressive by age 5/Alice Park, Time. More here. (Wikipedia photo: Political cartoon from 1860 depicting Stephen A. Douglas receiving a traditional "over-the-knee" spanking from Columbia as Uncle Sam looks on approvingly.)
Question: Do you put more stock in reports or the old Proverb: 'Spare the rod, spoil the child'?
D.F. (Dave) Oliveria joined The Spokesman-Review in 1984. He currently is a columnist and compiles the Huckleberries Online blog and writes about North Idaho in his Huckleberries column.