Study: Spanking May Mentally Harm Your Child

FARMINGTON (WWJ) - New research on spanking indicates it might be dangerous for your child's brain, slowing cognitive development and increasing the risk of mental health disorders.

WWJ Newsradio 950's Sandra McNeil spoke with Beaumont pediatrician Dr. Dan Schnarr who said the analysis of the effects of spanking over time is an eye-opener.

"They looked at studies done on brain imaging on children. And I don't think that they're talking about brain trauma, like physically smacking a kid's head, but they're talking about a child being mentally impacted, mentally traumatized by being spanked all the time," Schnarr said. "That there's changes in their brain on brain imaging, that's kind of concerning."

Schnarr said spanking can also make your child more aggressive.

"If you're really trying to teach them that, when they're angry and they're frustrated, you don't want them to hit their sister or to hit you or to hit their spouse when they grow up ... you probably should not be spanking them, you know, because they're going to remember that," he said.

The study was published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. (More from the study at this link).