There are several reasons that experts believe spanking should never be used as a form of punishment.
Spanking can and sometimes does escalate to become physical abuse which in turn can harm the child.
Studies in the past decade have shown that children who are spanked often display more behavior and emotional problems than children who are not spanked show.
In a 1997 study in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, for example, Straus and two colleagues found that 6- to 9-year-olds whose mothers spanked them at least weekly were more likely, two years later, to behave antisocially than were kids whose moms didn't spank (Harder, 2007)."
Conclusion
Over the past few decades the opinion about using spanking as a form of punishment for children has changed dramatically. For the past two decades its use has been examined and experts agree it is an unneeded form of discipline.
Spanking of children promotes fear and fear is not the way to guide a child to learn the proper way to act and behave.
Time outs, discussions, loss of privilege and other forms of discipline can be just as effective...
Using other forms of punishment teaches the child how to resolve problems without resorting to violence, which is something all children should be encouraged to do.
References
Harder, Ben (2007) Spanking: When parents lift their hands
It's better not to use corporal punishment, researchers agree. but, in fact, people do. Now we're learning the consequences. Special to the Times, Los Angeles Times,
Stewart, Allan, (2002) Issue of corporal punishment: re-examined. Journal of Instructional Psychology
Grogan-Kaylor, Andrew (2004) the effect of corporal punishment on antisocial behavior in children. Social Work Research
Straus, M.A. (1994). Beating the devil out of them: Corporal punishment in American families. San Francisco, CA: New Lexington Press.
Strassberg, Z., Dodge, K.A., Pettit, G.S., & Bates, J.E. (1994). "Spanking in families and subsequent aggressive behavior toward peers by kindergarten students." Development and Psychopathology, 6, 445-461.
Wolfe, D.A. (1987). Child abuse: Implications for child development and psychopathology. Newbury…
