New report reveals worrying reason parents should never smack their children

IT’S not illegal to smack your children, but there are growing calls both here and overseas for it to be banned, after the release of a concerning report.

RIGHTLY or wrongly, smacking your child is a parent’s prerogative and one some mums and dads feel is an appropriate punishment in extreme circumstances.

But worrying new research has revealed the toll smacking can take on kids’ mental health.

The report by the American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) revealed that children who are smacked by their parents are more likely to develop aggressive behaviours.

They are also at an increased risk of mental health disorders.

To reflect its findings, the AAP updated its advice on ways to discipline children — suggesting parents should also avoid “verbal abuse” which could cause “shame or humiliation”.

“Aversive disciplinary strategies, including all forms of corporal punishment and yelling at or shaming children, are minimally effective in the short-term and not effective in the long-term,” it said.

Smacking is not illegal in Australia or parts of the United Kingdom, but there are increasing calls in both countries to ban smack. It’s already due to become illegal in Scotland and Wales is potentially set to follow suit.

In England, it’s currently against the law for a parent or carer to smack their child, except where this amounts to “reasonable punishment”.

The AAP, which provides guidance to paediatricians in the United States, claims smacking has a psychological and physical impact on children.

Its recent report claims smacking can “bring on a vicious cycle of escalating poor behaviour”.

The organisation recommends parents use “positive reinforcement as a primary means of teaching acceptable behaviour”.

It advises: “For example, parents can learn that young children crave attention, and telling a child, ‘I love it when you …’ is an easy means of reinforcing desired behaviour.”

The AAP also recommends implementing a “time-out” strategy when a child breaks a specific rule, suggesting one minute for every year of age is a good rule of thumb.

This article originally appeared on The Sun and has been republished here with permission.