Spanking Can be Detrimental for Children’s Behavior, Even 10 Years Later

“Long-term studies on the links among parenting, temperament and children’s social behaviors have been limited, especially among racially diverse, low-income populations,” said Gustavo Carlo, Millsap Professor of Diversity at MU and director of the MU Center for Family Policy and Research. “Our findings show that differences exist in the roles of parenting, temperament and self-regulation and how they impact a child’s development.”

Carlo’s team analyzed data from 1,840 mothers and children enrolled in the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project. All participating families were at or below the federal poverty level and identified as either European American or African American. Information was collected when children were approximately 15 months old, 25 months old and in the fifth grade. Researchers used surveys of mothers and children, home visits and interviews with fifth grade teachers to complete the study.

The researchers found that if African-American children experienced severe punishment at 15 months they were more likely to exhibit increased aggressive and delinquent behaviors in the fifth grade. They were also less likely to show positive behaviors, such as helping others. No link was found between punishment and negative emotions for European-American children. Instead, among European- American children, negative emotions, such as irritability, predicted such outcomes. For both groups, good self-regulation predicted better behavioral outcomes.

“Our findings show how parents treat their children at a young age, particularly African-American children significantly impacts their behavior,” Carlo said. “It is very important that parents refrain from physical punishment as it can have long-lasting impacts. If we want to nurture positive behaviors, all parents should teach a child how to regulate their behaviors early.”