Effect of Spanking on Kids’ Brains Similar to Abuse
April 19, 2021 — Rare is the parent whoâs never so much as thought about spanking an unruly child. But a new study provides another reason to avoid corporal punishment: Spanking may cause changes in the same areas of a childâs brain affected by more severe physical and sexual abuse.
Previous research has consistently found links between spanking and behavioral problems, aggression, depression, and anxiety, says Jorge Cuartas, a doctoral candidate at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and first author of the study. âWe wanted to look at one potential mechanism, brain development, that might explain how corporal punishment can impact childrenâs behavior and cognitive development.â
The study, published in Child Development, used functional MRIs to map brain changes in 147 tweens whoâd never experienced physical or sexual abuse. Researchers tracked which parts of the childrenâs brains activated in response to neutral or fearful facial expressions. When shown pictures of someone looking fearful, kids who reported having been spanked had a larger response in certain parts of the brain than kids who hadnât been. Those areas drive the response to environmental cues, recognizing threats and reacting to them. If a childâs brain overreacts, behavioral challenges can result.
âWe saw those changes in the same areas as more severe forms of abuse or domestic violence. It suggests the difference is of degree rather than type,â Cuartas says. As far as a childâs brain is concerned, âItâs all violence.â
Itâs a significant finding because many parents donât think of spanking as being violent, says Vincent J. Palusci, MD, a pediatrician and editor-in-chief of the journal Child Maltreatment. âWe want to raise kids who are happy and healthy. And many parents who use spanking are doing it with that goal.â
Spanking in the U.S.
Around the world, 62 states and countries have outlawed corporal punishment. While the U.S. has no such protections, both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychological Association have condemned the practice. Acceptance of spanking seems to be shrinking: The percentage of parents in this country who say they spank their children is trending downward. In 1993, 50% of parents surveyed said they did, but by 2017 that number had fallen to 35%. Still far too many, Cuartas and Palusci says, but a promising trend.
âWhile we wouldnât as parents want to hurt our kids,â Palusci says, âwe need to understand that spanking can be just as bad as things weâd never do.â
Discipline vs. Punishment
For some parents, it may require a shift in thinking, differentiating between discipline and punishment. âDiscipline changes behavior — it teaches positive behavior, empathy, essential social skills. But thatâs different from punishment,â Cuartas says. âThat makes somebody feel pain or shame. We have to start thinking about spanking as punishment.â
That can be difficult, especially for adults whoâve been spanked themselves. They may believe that since they turned out fine, spanking must be fine, too. But the study doesnât suggest that every child whoâs spanked will have these difficulties — it just shows they happen, Cuartas says. âCompare this to smoking. We all know someone who smokes whoâs healthy, but that doesnât mean smoking is good,â he says. âIndividual cases arenât enough to understand whether certain experiences are good or bad.â
Palusci draws parallels to the advice pregnant women receive about taking medications: If it hasnât been tested in pregnancy specifically, no amount can be considered safe. âWe donât have the studies to say how much spanking is dangerous, so we have to think that any amount has this potential.â