Spanking at Ages 3 and 5 Years Affects Later Child Development and Behavior

Martin T. Stein, MD

Spanking is common and associated with negative developmental outcomes at age 9 years.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) policy on effective discipline states that spanking usually does not enhance a child's development and may have negative outcomes. A recent study showed a strong association between harsh physical punishment in childhood and adult psychiatric problems (NEJM JW Pediatr Adolesc Med 2013 Aug 6). Researchers examined the association between spanking and externalizing behaviors (aggression and oppositional behavior) in a longitudinal cohort study of 1933 children born between 1998 and 2000 from 20 U.S. cities. Parents completed standardized questionnaires when children were ages 3, 5, and 9 years, and children were assessed at age 9 years for externalizing behaviors and receptive vocabulary (Peabody Vocabulary test). At ages 3 and 5 years, parents were asked about the frequency during the past month of spanking because the child was misbehaving.

Fifty percent of mothers and 40% of fathers endorsed spanking when their child was age 3 years, and 52% of mothers and 33% of fathers endorsed spanking at age 5 years. Children spanked by their mothers (as infrequently as ≤2 times/week) at age 5 years had higher levels of externalizing behaviors at age 9 years. Children spanked by their fathers ≥2 times/week at age 5 had lower receptive language scores at age 9 years. Potential confounding variables (child and family characteristics, including race, ethnicity, and gender; maternal mental health and cognition; and externalizing behavior before age 3 years) did not significantly moderate these results.

Citation(s):

MacKenzie MJ et al. Spanking and child development across the first decade of life. Pediatrics 2013 Oct 21; [e-pub ahead of print].