Smacking children ‘doesn’t work’ and ‘makes behaviour worse’, new research finds

A new study has found that smacking children doesn’t work as an effective means of discipline, and actually makes their behaviour worse.

The research, led by UCL and many international experts, focused on sixty-nine studies worldwide spanning over the last twenty years.

Researchers followed children over time and analysed data on physical punishment and a range of different outcomes.

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The study, published in The Lancet, found the detrimental outcomes associated with physical punishment – behavioural difficulties such as aggression, violence, and antisocial behaviour – occurred irrespective of the child’s sex, ethnicity, or the overall parenting styles.

Professor Elizabeth Gershoff, University of Texas at Austin and senior author of the paper, said: “There is no evidence that physical punishment is good for children.

“All the evidence indicates that physical punishment is harmful to children’s development and well-being.”

Jillian van Turnhout, co-author of the paper and a former Senator in the Irish Parliament, added: “This review has documented compelling evidence that hitting children doesn’t work, and in many cases, it is harmful.

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“A home should be a safe place for children, yet in many countries, the law can make it one of the most unsafe places for them.

“Countries need to do all they can to ensure that all children have equal protection from all forms of harm, including physical punishment.”

Smacking as a form of punishment has been a divisive topic for decades, with many progressive parents slamming the act as ‘child abuse,’ while more traditional caregivers insist it prevents spoiled and unruly behaviour.

The act of smacking, however, has since been banned in sixty-two countries, Scotland and Wales included.