LUBBOCK, Texas -
A newly-released study from the University of Texas that spans over 50 years and looked at thousands of children indicates spanking children can leave life-long impressions.
"It's related to what might be known as detrimental childhood outcomes," said Joaquin Borrego, director of clinical psychology program at Texas Tech University.
Borrego, who focuses on parent-child therapy at Tech, says the new study shows a relationship though not causation of spanking and children's mental health.
"Spanking is associated -- for the most part -- with some negative child outcomes related to mental health," Borrego said. "But especially external behavior problems such as being non-compliant and being aggressive."
Though some think spanking is just part of growing up. "Beating them is one thing but a smack on the butt is not going to hurt a kid," Vicki Warren said.
"When I acted up as a kid I got spanked," Russ Roberts said. "I'm not talking about a beating, I'm taking about spanked."
"I was spanked in school for chewing gum in the gym," Rita Arnold said. "That's just how I was raised."
Overall, Borrego said spanking is just a quick fix with long term problems.
"If you spank a child for the most part most children will stop what they're doing," he said. "So that's why parents think this will work but if you look at the big picture over time we know that spanking really doesn't improve child behavior in the long term. It might lead to immediate compliance but in the long term it doesn't improve child behavior."
Borrego says there are better options instead of popping that bottom.
"You can use redirection, you can use time out, you can use restriction to privileges, you can use a token economy, positive enforcement, lots of praises but that takes a little bit more time and it takes for the parent to be a little bit more consistent over time," Borrego said.
Time that Borrego says is well worth it. Even though you may have been raised under Proverbs 13:24 -- "spare the rod, spoil the child," -- the researchers are adamant that using physical force on a child goes a long way in damaging the long term parent-child relationship.
