Written By: Longjam Dineshwori | Published : July 2, 2021 7:04 PM IST
Avoid physically punishing kids, it increases behaviour problems .
Avoid spanking, slapping and other forms of physical punishment to stop children from misbehaving. Physical punishment is ineffective in preventing child behaviour problems or promoting good behaviour. Instead, such violent act can increase behaviour problems and other poor outcomes in children over time, concluded a study by an international group of scientists.
According to the study recently published in The Lancet, 63% of children between the ages of 2 and 4 worldwide are regularly subjected to physical punishment by their caregivers. Physical punishment is increasingly seen as a form of violence and 62 countries have already banned the practice. The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child had recommended countries to end the use of all types of physical punishment on children. The UN body is responsible for ensuring that children can enjoy their human rights and live with dignity, respect and equality.
The team reviewed 69 studies involving physical punishment but found no evidence that it is good for children. "All the evidence indicates that physical punishment is harmful to children's development and well-being," said senior author Elizabeth Gershoff, the Amy Johnson McLaughlin Centennial Professor in Human Development and Family Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin, as quoted in Science Daily.
The authors found that physical punishment was associated with negative outcomes, such as behaviour problems, regardless of the child's sex, race, or ethnicity or parenting styles of the caregivers. The more frequently physical punishment was used, the higher the magnitude of negative outcomes for children, they said.
"Parents hit their children because they think doing so will improve their behaviour. Unfortunately for parents who hit, our research found clear and compelling evidence that physical punishment does not improve children's behaviour and instead makes it worse," Gershoff was further quoted as saying.
The research team including Anja Heilmann, lead author of the paper and an associate professor at University College London, encourages policymakers to end the use of physical punishment in all settings as it can cause harm to children.
Earlier, a study by Harvard researchers had also indicated that spanking can affect a child's brain development, similar to experiencing more severe forms of violence. They found that children who had been spanked had a greater neural response in multiple regions of the prefrontal cortex (PFC), which may affect decision-making and processing of situations. The study findings were published in the journal Child Development April this year.
Spanking is also associated with increased risk of aggression, antisocial behaviour and mental health problems in children. Corporal punishment of children has also been linked to the development of mental health issues, anxiety, depression, and substance use disorders.
Although corporal punishment is banned in schools, daycare and alternative childcare institutions in India, there are no laws to prevent parents or other legal guardians from giving physical punishment to children. The National Policy for Children 2013 states that in education, the state shall "ensure no child is subjected to any physical punishment or mental harassment" and "promote positive engagement to impart discipline so as to provide children with a good learning experience."
