Physical punishment—an adult’s use of physical force (e.g., corporal punishment, spanking, paddling) to punish a child or correct a child’s inappropriate behavior— increases aggression in young children and is ineffective in teaching a child responsibility and self-control. Substantial evidence shows negative long-term outcomes for children who are disciplined through corporal punishment. In fact, findings indicate that children who are physically punished (i.e., spanked) have similarly negative outcomes to children that are physically abused. This helpful one-page identifies a number of strategies to promote positive parenting and discipline strategies that do not include hitting or the physical use of force with children.
Eliminating the Use of Physical Punishment
