The Great Spanking Debate

The Great Spanking Debate

By Jeannette Moninger from Parents Magazine

Despite all the warnings and criticism, four out of five parents still spank their kids. Many experts believe the negative consequences outweigh any behavior benefits. Who's right?

Spanking -- the act of striking a child's buttocks with an open hand -- is a form of corporal punishment, a catchall term that includes hitting with a belt, paddling with an object (such as a stick or a large wooden spoon) and slapping with an open hand on the face. Most child-development experts include acts such as tapping a toddler's diaper-cushioned bottom when he misbehaves and smacking the hand of a kid protectively as he reaches for a hot stove in the same category.

Since all of these punishments entail hitting, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) urges parents not to resort to them under any circumstance. "There's no reason to get physical with a child when other discipline tactics are more effective," says Benjamin Siegel, M.D., chair of the AAP's Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health.