Study: Spanking Kids Leads to More Aggressive Behavior

[PreachersWife2004]

Great research.

We NEVER punish our children in ANY manner without explaining to them why they are being punished. And it's never a matter of "Because I said so", although we do tease our teenager occasionally with that line.

We have a variety of means of disciplining our children. Spanking is usually the last resort. We try to not raise our voices at them, but we are sinners and we don't always succeed in that area. Where I think we really excel is talking with our kids, even the two year old, and explaining the "rules of the road" so to speak.

With our three toddlers, we have to use vastly different methods for each child. For example, we don't spank our two year old, but he's gotten a rap on the hand for going near the stove when it's hot, and that's AFTER he's been told "no touch". These days, "no touch" is generally enough to keep him away from something now, regardless of why there's no touching. A two year old can't always grasp the idea of why. With our three year old, time outs are the best form of discipline because he responds best to them. In his case, he HATES being away from his brothers and being separated from the family. Our four year old is a bit adventurous for his own good and has recently received a spanking for deliberately pulling away from daddy in a parking lot. Time outs are not as effective with him, but when there are other children present, they are the best form.

With our teenager, we often "crush his spirit" when we remove his gaming privileges.

But with all of these methods, the child knows why he is being disciplined. That is key, otherwise the discipline does just come across as "because I said so", even if we're not saying it.

I wrote a paper in grad school on different classifications of parenting styles (authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive). The research I found at the time indicated that corporal punishment could be effective, but that it depended heavily on two factors: The childs individual personality, and how the parent followed up the discipline. Authoritarian parents tended to take the "You'll do what I say because it's my house/I'm the boss/I'm in charge" approach without giving the child any other reason for the discipline. That was meaningless to kids, and my research indicated that children raised in authoritarian households applying corporal punishment tended to have more problems with violence, drugs, and discipline once they moved from home. Authoritative parents would actually explain why said discipline was administered. The children of these parents fared much better in many cases. Permissive parenting, by definition, would not use corporal punishment.

 

[Corey]

These types of studies are indeed myriad as you previously posted , however, they do not prove that most behavior is due to situational restraints only that certain types of behaviors are greatly influenced by situational constraints.

Then what evidence would you accept?

How about textbooks on social psychology that state it outright (Zimbardo & Lieppe, 1991; The Psychology of Attitude Change and Social Influence). In fact, all social psychological research involves the manipulation of at least one situation variable and commonly more than one.

While my own research focuses on personality psychology, I work under the paradigm of the person in the situation. That is, how individual differences affect behavior and its self-regulation in specific situations.

I don't believe that they address the "spanking teaches aggression is an appropriate tool" assertion.

You're correct. They don't. I apologize for that I missed the second portion of your request.

Let's deal with learning aggression is an appropriate behavior and response. There is a classic experiments on this by Albert Bandura.

Modeling (the Bobo Doll Experiment):

Summary: Albert Bandura and his colleagues demonstrated that children will copy (i.e., model) behaviors (specifically in these studies, aggressive ones) when they saw adults hit, throw, and kick a toy doll (the Bobo Doll). Specifically they found children will copy the adults' behaviors when the adults received a reward or nothing occurred (neither rewards or punishments were given). However if the adult was punished in the video, children were subsequently far less likely to copy the behaviors of the adult.

Subequent research fleshed out when modeling of behavior was most likely to occur.

Primary Reference:
Bandura, A., Ross, D., & Ross, S.A. (1961). Transmission of aggression through imitation of aggressive models. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 63, 575-582.

 

[Risen Tree]

Study: Spanking Kids Leads to More Aggressive Behavior - Yahoo! News

This is news?

Amen. You sound exactly like me. I will go by the Bible (spare the rod and spoil the child).

Ah, yes, one of the greatest defenses of child abuse in all of Scripture.

This interpretation is a misrepresentation of what the verse is really saying. Shepherds do not redirect stray sheep by whacking them with the rod; the rod is used to gently steer them back on track.

I guess some parents choose not to accept this, preferring instead to sacrifice all of modern psychology to a false representation of a single Bible verse.

 

[Corey]

Again, there is a qualitative difference between the use of force that is getting a child to sit in time out as punishment and the use of force that is hitting them as punishment.

Let's leave aside the question of force and violence and focus on something far more practical. Namely, what are effective means of behavior modification to remove undesired behaviors.

Number one on the list are time-outs.

Now why is that you might be asking. Very simple. It comes down to how operant conditioning works. Simply put, a time-out (removal of positive outcomes) is the only outcome of a behavior that never leads to a reward of any sort.

Even punishment (i.e., introduction of a negative outcome) can lead to a reward for behavior (i.e., attention). A spanking thus can eventually be seen as a reward (because you are then paying attention to the child).

With my 3-year old, spanking is the absolute last step on a very long road which starts with removing things he likes more and more (e.g., picking out his own clothes, going by the fire station, watching the garage door go down, pressing the garage door remote, taking away toys for the day). We also threaten to leave him alone or send him to his room as we know that he likes being with us.

 

[trunks2k]

The alone/ignoring thing is what worked with my siblings and me. If we through a tantrum or something, my mom would just walk away, even if we were in public. When we were really little, if we continued carrying on, my mom would not say a word to us and just put us in our rooms. We learned pretty quickly that acting out didn't get us anywhere.

For example, my mom was out with my sister, and my sister started throwing a tantrum while in a store. Once my mom realized that the tantrum wasn't going to stop, without a word, she grabbed my sister and left the store and headed home. My sister continued screaming the rest of the way home. My mom just didn't react, got home and put her in her room. Eventually my sister just tired herself out. After that, tantrums were very rare. My mom has good patience apparently, she said it took everything in her power from smacking my sister.

 

[DrJill]

NAW, I wus spankz and look at how outstanding I am.

 

[PreachersWife2004]

The alone/ignoring thing is what worked with my siblings and me. If we through a tantrum or something, my mom would just walk away, even if we were in public. When we were really little, if we continued carrying on, my mom would not say a word to us and just put us in our rooms. We learned pretty quickly that acting out didn't get us anywhere.

For example, my mom was out with my sister, and my sister started throwing a tantrum while in a store. Once my mom realized that the tantrum wasn't going to stop, without a word, she grabbed my sister and left the store and headed home. My sister continued screaming the rest of the way home. My mom just didn't react, got home and put her in her room. Eventually my sister just tired herself out. After that, tantrums were very rare. My mom has good patience apparently, she said it took everything in her power from smacking my sister.

You wanna talk about discipline that scars a kid for life!! We were in a major shopping store and I freaked out on my mom, I was probably 6 or 7 and SHE LEFT ME IN THE STORE and walked out to the car. She waited there for about 5 minutes and then came back in, found me in the same spot wailing for her.

Let me tell you...I never EVER had an incident in public like that again.

*I should also tell you that she alerted store personnel as to what was going on so I was never in any real danger.

My mom was also the ignoring type. If she was at the store and we were acting up, she'd just leave. I've done that with my toddlers. I've left a cart full of groceries right in an aisle and just left. Twice I've had people detect the meltdowns that were occurring and ask if there was a way they could help me checkout so that my trip wasn't in vain.

There are still nice people in this world!

 

[xMinionX]

Great research.

We NEVER punish our children in ANY manner without explaining to them why they are being punished. And it's never a matter of "Because I said so", although we do tease our teenager occasionally with that line.

I swore up and down that I would never use the "because I said so" line when I learned I was having a kid. He's too young to even be asking why questions (2 1/2), but even now I can see the allure of such methods. It's very simple and easy. But I also remember when my parents used it on me, and even as a kid I would think "What does that have to do with anything?!?"

We have a variety of means of disciplining our children. Spanking is usually the last resort. We try to not raise our voices at them, but we are sinners and we don't always succeed in that area. Where I think we really excel is talking with our kids, even the two year old, and explaining the "rules of the road" so to speak.

That's great. I'm trying to stick to that approach with my boy. I have raised my voice at him a few times, but it's infrequent enough that he knows when Daddy yells, it's time to snap to and listen up. His mother raises her voice more and as a result it's far less effective.

I'm just giddy that he's finally gotten to the point where he actually can be reasoned with. Usually when he wakes up at night he likes some warm milk to get back to sleep. A couple weeks ago he had a best cold with congestion and he woke up crying for "a bobble milk" (its a sippy cup, but at night he calls it a bottle). I gave him water and he got very upset, but I explained to him how milk would give him "boogies" and he might cough and make "pukies", which has happened. I could see it on his face that he was listening very intently and thinking about what I was saying. When I finished he said very matter-of-factly "No bobble milk, I want watuh. No boogies, no pukies." Drank his water and back to sleep. I was on cloud 9 for the rest of the week.

So far I haven't spanked him or anything like that. I hope to stick with that, although it'll probably have to come up at some point.

 

[PreachersWife2004]

I swore up and down that I would never use the "because I said so" line when I learned I was having a kid. He's too young to even be asking why questions (2 1/2), but even now I can see the allure of such methods. It's very simple and easy. But I also remember when my parents used it on me, and even as a kid I would think "What does that have to do with anything?!?"

Exactly. My folks never used it on us, but I had teachers who did. Since I had parents who over-explained stuff to me, I often got in more trouble at school as I kept asking why so the teachers thought I was being a smart aleck to them.

That's great. I'm trying to stick to that approach with my boy. I have raised my voice at him a few times, but it's infrequent enough that he knows when Daddy yells, it's time to snap to and listen up. His mother raises her voice more and as a result it's far less effective.

That's what we've found, too. When we go long periods of time without raising our voices, the kids get very intrigued and, well, kinda nervous when we do actually raise them. And I think there are certain occasions where it's warranted, just like spanking. For instance, my son managed to get ahold of a steak knife that our teen left too close to the edge of the counter. Both hubby and I YELLED "DROP IT!" to our toddler and he did, mainly because the yelling startled him.

I'm just giddy that he's finally gotten to the point where he actually can be reasoned with. Usually when he wakes up at night he likes some warm milk to get back to sleep. A couple weeks ago he had a best cold with congestion and he woke up crying for "a bobble milk" (its a sippy cup, but at night he calls it a bottle). I gave him water and he got very upset, but I explained to him how milk would give him "boogies" and he might cough and make "pukies", which has happened. I could see it on his face that he was listening very intently and thinking about what I was saying. When I finished he said very matter-of-factly "No bobble milk, I want watuh. No boogies, no pukies." Drank his water and back to sleep. I was on cloud 9 for the rest of the week.

Ah, yes...these are the glory days when all of a sudden we see the lightbulb going on (and sometimes off!!) and we KNOW they're getting it somehow. Things make sense to them so there's no need for us to just say "do it" and expect them to do it. Love the story...we're experiencing that right now with ALL of our toddlers.

So far I haven't spanked him or anything like that. I hope to stick with that, although it'll probably have to come up at some point.

I am so glad that we don't have to employ the technique very often. Hopefully you will never have to employ it, but if you do, always ALWAYS remember, never spank in anger. And if that means the kid doesn't get a spanking, so be it. There's been a couple of times I just had to not spank even though it was warranted because I knew I had the wrong emotion at work in me.

It's so fun being a parent!!

 

[xMinionX]

It really is!

 

[WadeWilson]

Eh, I was never spanked, and I grew up fine.
I know kids who were never spanked and became spoiled, mal-adjusted brats.
I know kids who were spanked daily and grew up fine.
I know kids who were spanked daily and became spoiled, mal-adjusted brats.

Conclusion?
Inconclusive study is inconclusive.

 

[grasping the after wind]

Then what evidence would you accept?

How about textbooks on social psychology that state it outright (Zimbardo & Lieppe, 1991; The Psychology of Attitude Change and Social Influence). In fact, all social psychological research involves the manipulation of at least one situation variable and commonly more than one.

While my own research focuses on personality psychology, I work under the paradigm of the person in the situation. That is, how individual differences affect behavior and its self-regulation in specific situations.



You're correct. They don't. I apologize for that I missed the second portion of your request.

Let's deal with learning aggression is an appropriate behavior and response. There is a classic experiments on this by Albert Bandura.

Modeling (the Bobo Doll Experiment):

Summary: Albert Bandura and his colleagues demonstrated that children will copy (i.e., model) behaviors (specifically in these studies, aggressive ones) when they saw adults hit, throw, and kick a toy doll (the Bobo Doll). Specifically they found children will copy the adults' behaviors when the adults received a reward or nothing occurred (neither rewards or punishments were given). However if the adult was punished in the video, children were subsequently far less likely to copy the behaviors of the adult.

Subequent research fleshed out when modeling of behavior was most likely to occur.

Primary Reference:
Bandura, A., Ross, D., & Ross, S.A. (1961). Transmission of aggression through imitation of aggressive models. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 63, 575-582.

I accept your evidence I just don't think you can generalize to most behavior. Textbooks are second hand evidence and can often be biased by the authors. Unfortunately unlike physics or chemistry not all variables can be controlled in social psychology so there will always be room for reasonable disagreement.

Children will copy adult behavior this is true. Will children being spanked act out aggressively in other ways because they are copying spanking behavior? I don't know if this is the case. I would expect that children modeling spanking behavior would spank. I would suspect that children acting out in other ways may be copying other behavior they have observed in adults.

 

[grasping the after wind]

Let's leave aside the question of force and violence and focus on something far more practical. Namely, what are effective means of behavior modification to remove undesired behaviors.

Number one on the list are time-outs.

Now why is that you might be asking. Very simple. It comes down to how operant conditioning works. Simply put, a time-out (removal of positive outcomes) is the only outcome of a behavior that never leads to a reward of any sort.

Even punishment (i.e., introduction of a negative outcome) can lead to a reward for behavior (i.e., attention). A spanking thus can eventually be seen as a reward (because you are then paying attention to the child).

With my 3-year old, spanking is the absolute last step on a very long road which starts with removing things he likes more and more (e.g., picking out his own clothes, going by the fire station, watching the garage door go down, pressing the garage door remote, taking away toys for the day). We also threaten to leave him alone or send him to his room as we know that he likes being with us.

You threaten to leave him alone? I hope you don't mean you threaten to abandon him. I don't like to threaten anything I'm not willing to do. Eventually the child will call your bluff and you will lose credibility. Parents need to be consistent and honest. Other than that you seem to have a good system and I'm probably misunderstanding what you mean by threaten to leave him alone.

 

[Corey]

I accept your evidence I just don't think you can generalize to most behavior. Textbooks are second hand evidence and can often be biased by the authors. Unfortunately unlike physics or chemistry not all variables can be controlled in social psychology so there will always be room for reasonable disagreement.

I don't think you quite understand the nature of science and the scientific methods as well as probability. In many ways, physics, chemistry, and psychology use similar analytic tools.

As a point of fact here is the equation psychologists use to talk about behavior:

Behavior = Person + Situation

People tend to see the equation like this:

B = P + S.

There is a reason why. The person is the most salient (i.e., visible, accessible, important) feature in the field of vision for people. This leads to what is called the Fundamental Attribution Error (short description: people assign a dispositional attribute for a behavior while the person who did the behavior assigns a situational attribution).

In reality, personality accounts for a small proportion of variance in behavior (typically less than 20%).

In fact, most behavior is most driven by the situation. I hesitate to do so as I would prefer you judge the information on its merits, but I think it's important to note that I am a social psychologist. The experiments are very clear that situational variables drive behavior most strongly. That isn't to say individual differences don't play a role (they do-just not as strongly).

Regarding textbooks: they are not "second-hand evidence." They are resources that compile and organize evidence systematically to help understanding. They are authored by experts on the topic(s) they cover who are deeply familiar with the research and paradigms in the field.

Moreover, I don't think you're familiar with how physics and chemistry research is conducted. As a point of fact, they don't control all their variable either. That's where probability theory and statistics come in.

Children will copy adult behavior this is true. Will children being spanked act out aggressively in other ways because they are copying spanking behavior? I don't know if this is the case. I would expect that children modeling spanking behavior would spank. I would suspect that children acting out in other ways may be copying other behavior they have observed in adults.

It's a probabilistic relationship, not a deterministic one. They are more likely to aggress than those who are not spanked.

Your suspicion would likely be correct dependent on the behavior; don't forget other children in the mix (who are in fact are more powerful models for behavior than adults).

 

[Corey]

You threaten to leave him alone? I hope you don't mean you threaten to abandon him. I don't like to threaten anything I'm not willing to do. Eventually the child will call your bluff and you will lose credibility. Parents need to be consistent and honest. Other than that you seem to have a good system and I'm probably misunderstanding what you mean by threaten to leave him alone.

It's not about abandonment, but depending on the situation, we'll leave him alone where he is (e.g., if it's time for dinner and we're downstairs playing, but he doesn't want to stop).

In situations where there is a danger for him to be alone (e.g., any time outside), we'll start moving away from him but never have him out of sight or out of reach with a quick sprint.