Physical punishment tied to aggression, hyperactivity

sun-sentinel.com ^ | January 17, 2014 | Kathleen Raven

[ilovesarah2012]

Regardless of the culture a child lives in, corporal punishment may do lasting psychological harm, German researchers say.

In a new study conducted in Tanzania, where physical punishment is considered normal, primary school students who were beaten by teachers or family members in the name of discipline tended to show more behavior problems, not fewer, the researchers found.

"Parents aim to educate children through corporal punishment, but instead of learning good social behaviors, the beatings often have the opposite effect," said Tobias Hecker, a psychologist at the University of Konstanz, who led the study.

"Some people still believe, despite an overwhelming body of evidence, that corporal punishment in some cultures won't result in as many negative effects," George Holden told Reuters Health.

"But, as this study shows, it's difficult to find support for that argument," said Holden, a professor of psychology at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, who was not involved in the study.

Past research, mainly in industrialized countries, has found that children and teens who experience corporal punishment may "externalize" their negative experiences in the form of bad behavior and emotional problems, Hecker and his colleagues write in the journal Child Abuse & Neglect.

[Flick Lives]

your story is total bullish

It's not my story; it's from Heinlein's "Starship Troopers".