Citing an accumulation of research and knowledge, The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has updated their policy statement "to recommend parents not to use spanking, hitting, slapping, threatening, insulting, humiliating or shaming" as forms of child discipline. The AAP outlines the strong association of spanking and adverse outcomes as:
- corporal punishment of children younger than 18 months of age increases the likelihood of physical injury;
- repeated use of corporal punishment may lead to aggressive behavior and altercations between the parent and child and may negatively affect the parent-child relationship;
- corporal punishment is associated with increased aggression in preschool and school-aged children;
- experiencing corporal punishment makes it more, not less, likely that children will be defiant and aggressive in the future;
- corporal punishment is associated with an increased risk of mental health disorders and cognition problems;
- the risk of harsh punishment is increased when the family is experiencing stressors, such as family economic challenges, mental health problems, intimate partner violence, or substance abuse; and
- spanking alone is associated with adverse outcomes, and these outcomes are similar to those in children who experience physical abuse.
"Optimal child development requires the active engagement of adults who, among other functions, teach children about acceptable behavior. The word “discipline” is derived from the Latin word “disciplinare,” meaning to teach or train, as in disciple (a follower or student of a teacher, leader, or philosopher). Effective disciplinary strategies, appropriate to a child’s age and development, teach the child to regulate his or her own behavior; keep him or her from harm; enhance his or her cognitive, socioemotional, and executive functioning skills; and reinforce the behavioral patterns taught by the child’s parents and caregivers." "The AAP recommends that adults caring for children use healthy forms of discipline, such as positive reinforcement of appropriate behaviors, setting limits, redirecting, and setting future expectations"
To read the full article, please click:
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content
To see the AAP's recommended resources for parenting children of all ages, please click: https://healthychildren.org/
