Publication year
2013
Citation Title
Spanking and child development across the first decade of life.
Journal Name
Pediatrics
Journal Volume
132
Issue Number
5
Page Numbers
e1118-e1125
DOI
10.1542/peds.2013-1227
Summary
A nationally representative sample of families was studied to examine the prevalence of maternal and paternal spanking of children at age three and age five. Associations between spanking and children’s externalizing behavior and receptive vocabulary at age nine were also examined. Results indicated that spanking negatively impacted children's externalizing behaviors and receptive vocabulary.
Key Findings
Fifty-seven percent of mothers and 40% of fathers engaged in spanking when the child was three years old. 52% of mothers and 33% of fathers engaged in spanking when the child was five years old.
Age five maternal spanking (at both low and high frequency) is a significant predictor of higher externalizing behavior (at age nine) after controlling for many child and family characteristics (including father spanking and earlier externalizing behavior).
Frequent paternal spanking at age five was associated with lower scores on receptive vocabulary at age nine.
The effects of spanking on child development were not associated with race/ethnicity or gender.
Implications for Military Professionals
Attend trainings about the impact of spanking on child well-being in order to better inform military parents
Facilitate support groups for military parents coping with child behavioral issues
Implications for Program Leaders
Provide parental training in effective discipline techniques for preschool aged children
Provide information to military families regarding the negative effects of spanking on child cognitive and behavioral development
Implications for Policy Makers
Recommend that parent training programs continue to be offered in an accessible, low-cost manner for Service members and their partners
Advocate for staff training on use of evidence based parent-training programs for military families
Methods
Data were drawn from the Fragile Families and Child Well-Being study that is a longitudinal birth cohort study.
Data were used from child ages three and five (demographics, prenatal risks, maternal risks, spanking), and age nine (externalizing behaviors and receptive vocabulary).
Children included in the study were born between 1998-2000 and were from 20 different cities across the U.S.
Participants
One thousand nine hundred thirty-three families were included in the externalizing behavior analyses and 1,532 were included in the receptive vocabulary analyses.
The mean age of mother at birth was 25 years (SD = 6.0 years).
Fifty-two percent of participants were Black and 24% White.
Twenty-one percent reported prenatal drug use, moderate or high alcohol use, or smoking.
Limitations
The externalizing measure used was maternal report of externalizing behavior; information was not gathered about paternal perspectives, which limits what can be garnered from the results.
The analyses used were not described, making replication difficult.
This study only included a civilian sample; results may not be generalizable to military families.
Avenues for Future Research
Explore reasons why spanking impacts externalizing behavior and cognitive development among civilian and military children
Examine the differential impact of maternal and paternal spanking on child cognitive development and externalizing behavior
Investigate rates of spanking among military families to determine if military families utilize corporal punishment at similar rates as civilian families
Focus
Civilian
Target Population
Population Focus
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To examine the prevalence of maternal and paternal spanking of children at 3 and 5 years of age and the associations between spanking and children’s externalizing behavior and receptive vocabulary through age 9. METHODS: The Fragile Families and Child Well-Being Study, a longitudinal birth cohort study of children in 20 medium to large US cities, was used. Parental reports of spanking were assessed at age 3 and 5, along with child externalizing behavior and receptive vocabulary at age 9 (N = 1933). The data set also included an extensive set of child and family controls (including earlier measures of the child outcomes). RESULTS: Overall, 57% of mothers and 40% of fathers engaged in spanking when children were age 3, and 52% of mothers and 33% of fathers engaged in spanking at age 5. Maternal spanking at age 5, even at low levels, was associated with higher levels of child externalizing behavior at age 9, even after an array of risks and earlier child behavior were controlled for. Father’s high-frequency spanking at age 5 was associated with lower child receptive vocabulary scores at age 9. CONCLUSIONS: Spanking remains a typical rearing experience for American children. These results demonstrate negative effects of spanking on child behavioral and cognitive development in a longitudinal sample from birth through 9 years of age.
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