New study links spanking to cognitive deficiency
To spank or not to spank your child, that is the question. Spanking has always been a hotly debated topic. Studies have shown that children who are
spanked regularly tend to develop more aggressive tendencies later in life. But when asked whether spanking is appropriate, the response from most parents raising children in the U.S. tends to be the same: “My parents spanked me, and I turned out fine.” In fact, research shows that most American children have been spanked at some point in their lives. My very un-scientific research shows that nearly all Latino children were spanked in childhood. (Disclaimer: My very un-scientific research consisted of me asking my amigas over margaritas if their parents had ever spanked them. They all answered, ¡claro que si!)A new study performed at Columbia University confirmed that children who are spanked in early childhood are more likely to be aggressive as older children. However, the study also found a more surprising link to spanking. According to the study, there may be a link between spanking and cognitive behavior. Namely, children who are spanked do worse on vocabulary tests than children who are not spanked. Of the 1,500 families who participated in the study, 57 percent of mothers and 40 percent of fathers reported spanking