Caught on tape: parents spanking to discipline children

Story from Here and Now. Listen to audio above for full report.

A researcher at Southern Methodist University has captured audio of dozens of parents using spanking to discipline their children.

The audio comes as a side product to research that professor George Holden set out to conduct about how parents talk to their children. In addition to that, he also got audio of parents using spanking or slapping with their children.

“Increasingly, the evidence is clear that spanking children is associated with many unintended, negative consequences,” Holden said.

According to Holden, most parents say they only use spanking or slapping as a last resort, but the data he’s gathered shows most parents do the exact opposite. One example he gives is of a mother who was reading to her child when the child tried to turn the page or otherwise touched the book. She slapped the child and told the child not to touch the book.

Incidentally, Holden said, the child touched the book again 10 seconds later.

Holden says his goal is to show parents that there are alternatives to spanking — using positive discipline — that actually achieve better results. He adds that most child abuse situations begin with a disciplinary incident that “gets out of control.”

And Holden said use of spanking and slapping can lead to a cycle of violence later in life.

“Children who are raised in homes where physical punishment is used to address conflict and deal with other people who are doing things (they) don’t like, as (they) grow up they will be more likely to use those very same techniques in other relationships.”

What do you remember about being spanked as a child, or about spanking your own children? Was it effective or ineffective? Leave your feedback in the comments, below.

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