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In a follow-upadvisory published Monday— 20 years after its“Guidance for Effective Discipline”that said parents should “be encouraged” not to use spanking for punishments — doctors noted that “there appears to be astrong association between spanking childrenand subsequent adverse outcomes.”
Furthermore,the act of spanking in itself canlead to an aggressive, conflict-ridden relationship between a parent and a child of any age. The AAP states that spanking can also lead to outcomes that are similar to those seen in individuals who have been physically abused as children.
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The guidelines take the lead from “the opinions of the vast majority of U.S. pediatricians, who do not recommend corporal punishment,” whereasthe AAP’s 1998 policy statementcited a survey where “≤59 percent of pediatricians support the use of corporal punishment, at least in certain situations.”
“The purpose of discipline is to teach children good behavior and support normal child development,” Dr. Robert D. Sege wrote in Monday’s release about the new policy statement which Sege, a pediatrician, helped author. “Effective discipline does so without the use of corporal punishment or verbal shaming.”
Sege continued in the release, “Children who experience repeated use ofcorporal punishment tend to develop moreaggressive behaviors, increased aggression in school, and an increased risk of mental health disorders and cognitive problems. In cases where warm parenting practices occurred alongside corporal punishment, the link between harsh discipline and adolescent conduct disorder and depression remained.”
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Aside from giving hard advice on the detrimental effects of using physical punishment, the AAP provides alternative suggestions for discipliningboth youngerandolder children.
“The best way to improve behavior is to give children a lot of attention when they are doing something you like and remove your attention when they are doing something you do not like,” the group advises of all ages.
The AAP’s new guidelines, titled“Effective Discipline to Raise Healthy Children,”will be published in the December issue of the organization’sPediatricsjournal.
source: people.com
