Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
4935819 | Child Abuse & Neglect | 2017 | 4 Pages |
Abstract
Despite numerous studies identifying a broad range of harms associated with the use of spanking and other types of physical punishment, debate continues about its use as a form of discipline. In this commentary, we recommend four strategies to move the field forward and beyond the spanking debate including: 1) use of methodological approaches that allow for stronger causal inference; 2) consideration of human rights issues; 3) a focus on understanding the causes of spanking and reasons for its decline in certain countries; and 4) more emphasis on evidence-based approaches to changing social norms to reject spanking as a form of discipline. Physical punishment needs to be recognized as an important public health problem.
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Authors
Harriet L. MacMillan, Christopher R. Mikton,