Harsh parenting during childhood may lead to smaller brains

Adolescents who had repeatedly been subjected to harsh parenting practices in childhood were found to have smaller prefrontal cortexes and amygdala, two structures that play a key role in emotional regulation and the emergence of anxiety and depression.

There are no rules, when it comes to parenting. What works for your children may not work for other kids and parents. But there are certain practices all parents should avoid while trying to discipline their children. Harsh parenting habits can hamper child's overall growth and development. Getting angry, hitting, shaking or yelling at children are often considered socially acceptable by most people around the world. But frequent use of such harsh parenting practices can affect your child's brain development and may lead to smaller brain structure in adolescence, indicated a new study. The affect can sometime go beyond changes in the brain, and hamper their social and emotional development as well, the study's lead author Sabrina Suffren, PhD, at Universit de Montr al.

Published in Development and Psychology, the study was jointly conducted by Universit de Montr al and the CHU Sainte Justine Research Centre in partnership with researchers from Stanford University.

Harsh parenting affects the structure of children's brains

Previous studies have linked child abuse (such as sexual, physical and emotional abuse), neglect and even institutionalization to anxiety and depression later in life. Researchers have found that people who had experienced severe abuse have smaller prefrontal cortexes and amygdala, two structures that play a key role in emotional regulation and the emergence of anxiety and depression. In the new study, changes in the same brain regions were observed in adolescents who had repeatedly been subjected to harsh parenting practices in childhood.

This is the first time that harsh parenting practices have been linked to decreased brain structure size, similar to what was seen in victims of serious acts of abuse, said Suffren.

Avoid these parenting practices

Below are some other parenting practices that can be harmful to the child's mental and psychological development.

Hitting a Child

Often parents tend to use this practice to discipline their children. This should be avoided. Hitting children as punishment for bad behaviour can actually turn them into angry, resentful adults. It can also make them believe that using force and physical violence is the appropriate way to get results.

Lying in Front of Kids

Parents are a child's first and best teacher. Therefore, you should set a good example for your kids. If you lie in front of your children, they will also do the same in future. Never lie in front of your children at any costs.

Shouting at your children

Yelling can make children more aggressive, physically and verbally, as well as make them shout in retaliation too. Avoid shouting at your children or at anybody in presence of your children.

Using Bad Language

Never swear or use cuss words in front of children. This can send out a wrong message to them that it is ok to use such words and they may also start swearing at school. According to researchers, children who swear tend to indulge in bullying and stealing. If you do not want your child to use bad words, you should first eliminate those bad words from your own vocabulary.