Spanking and aggression

Researchers from Tulane University in New Orleans have been looking into the effects of spanking on children. The researchers studied nearly 2,500 children asking their mothers about how often they were spanked and about their behaviour. The children who were spanked more often were twice as likely as those who weren't spanked to develop aggressive behaviour such as getting into fights, destroying things or being mean to others. More than half of the children had been spanked in the month before the interview. Those who had been spanked more than once by the age of three had double the risk of being highly aggressive by five. The findings held true even after taking into account psychological maltreatment, maternal depression and substance abuse.

You can find out more about this research at

http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE63B2XR20100412?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews&sp=true