Spanking may lower a child's IQ: Study

source:http://www.theprovince.com/mobile/ne...2029974/story.

Spanking may lower a child's IQ: Study

Thursday, September 24, 2009
By Linda Nguyen, Canwest News Service


Children who are spared the rod may grow up to have higher IQs than those who are spanked, suggests a study by one of North America's foremost child psychology experts.


The U.S-based study, which will be presented Friday at the International Conference on Violence, Abuse and Trauma in San Diego, Calif., examined the IQ scores of 1,510 children aged two to four, and five to nine, and compared them with their IQ scores four years later.


Researcher Murray Straus found the younger children who were spanked scored an average of five points lower on their IQs, compared to children in their age group whose parents did not believe in corporal punishment.

Among the older group, the difference was pegged at 2.8 points.


Straus, a professor at the University of Hampshire who has been studying this topic for more than 50 years, said this was the third major U.S. study released this year showing a correlation between physical discipline and a child's intelligence.


"To put it in a nutshell, corporal punishment slows down the rate of development of mental ability," Straus said in a telephone interview from San Diego. "All the kids got smarter because they got older, but the ones who were spanked, less so."


Corporal punishment was defined in the study as hitting a child, usually on the buttocks, at least three times a week. The one who usually did the spanking was the mother


Straus said his study, which will also be published next week in the Journal of Aggression, Maltreatment and Trauma, took into account other factors that may affect mental development, such as the family's socio-economic status and the parents' education levels.


He found that, not only was there a correlation between how often a child was hit and how slow his mental development was, there was also a link showing younger children were the most affected by spankings.


"That's kind of the cruelly ironic thing, because we hear that it's OK to hit younger children because they won't remember it," said Straus. "This evidence says it's worse for children between two to six, that the younger child is the most vulnerable."


For his research, Straus also analyzed surveys done by nearly 18,000 students in 32 countries — including Canada — and found that, generally, countries with high national-average IQs were nations that had banned, or do not socially accept, spanking.


The exceptions were the top five countries on the average-IQ list: Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Singapore. Straus attributed the discrepancy to a strong emphasis in those nations on academic excellence.


In the other countries surveyed, university students who were hit by their caregivers as children still exhibited signs of post-traumatic stress and fear that negative things would happen to them, which may be signs related to a lower IQ, said Straus.


In Canada, the Supreme Court of Canada issued a 6-3 ruling in 2004, upholding section 43 of the Criminal Code that said parents and caregivers are allowed to use reasonable force when disciplining a child no younger than two years old.


Bill S-209, which outlined the court's decision, made its way to a third reading in the Senate in June 2008, but never became law, because Parliament dissolved for an election.


Two dozen countries worldwide have banned spanking by parents and teachers, including Finland, Norway and Austria.


David Day, an associate psychology professor at Ryerson University in Toronto, said parents should be using positive-reinforcement techniques instead of striking their children.


"What spanking doesn't do is promote cognitive development or language and problem-solving abilities in children," said Day, who studies aggression and anti-social behaviour in children and youth. "It's very frightening for a child because, at a young age, they'll have the inability to deal with stress and be afraid of being hit. It really has long-term consequences for children."


He said corporal punishment is usually coupled with other negative parenting techniques, such as yelling, the removal of privileges or food, which would also be detrimental to a children's mental and emotional development.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/parenting/26806-spanking-may-lower-childs-iq-study.html
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=26806


The Child Welfare League of Canada said this study adds to a body of international research that shows the lasting effects of hitting a child.

"There's so much research that shows children who are brought up in that atmosphere and exposed to violence grow up thinking they're allowed to hit when they're displeased with a situation," said Gordon Phaneuf, a spokesman with the advocacy group. "So much of corporal punishment is done in a context that is very scary and upsetting. It shouldn't really surprise us that children will come away with messages that are very negative to the sense of who they are."


Phaneuf said Canada's reluctance to ban corporal punishment outright is sending the wrong message.


"Spanking clearly violates the rights of children as individuals. We know that hitting children is not an effective parenting technique," he said. "Just as you wouldn't hit a spouse or a senior parent or someone else you're caring for, you don't hit the most vulnerable people in society: our children."

© Copyright (c) Canwest News Service

 
Do share your immediate thoughts or reactions on this issue? We value your views! Login Now! or Sign Up Today! to share your views with us.. Gurfateh!

__________________
Prayer = TALKING to God; Meditation/Simran = LISTENING to God !
With the Divine Love & Blessings of WAHEGURU Ji, I wish you peace, love, light (enlightenment), health & happiness in life!

IQ is a strange thing, what does it really measure?

I'm a faily intelegent chap(dyslexcia not-with-standing) and I was roundly beaten as a child. Yes of course such things have a detrimental effect on the mind of a young child, IQ score, umm I'm not so sure, I don't really place much stock in them at any rate.

we all sikhs were perhaps spanked big time as children

spare the rod..and spoil the child...
of what use is higher iq...if your child is rude/offensive/abusive/bully/obnoxious/..as is the norm with children now a days...funny isnt it ?
Anyway pschoanalysis is so the IN thing these days...just watch nay serial rapist gettign caught...these pschoanalysts will ahev a field day..blaming his grandmother..who abused him a s achild..or his mother..thus he is actually raping his granny..when he rapes inncoent girls..and kills them becasue he is actually killing his mother..blah balh balh...everyoen si GUILTY..except the Perperator..he is top be PITIED..sympathised with..and released !!/rehabilitated..what a lood of bull.
Once a friend took me to hsi home to meet hsi fmaily in Washington...when we arrived..apparently his teenage sona nd daughter were upstairs in their rooms..so after having seated me and givne me a drink..he called his son on the intercom..come down Puttar...soemone form malaysia is here..i wnat to meet him..***..shouted the son..hes YOUR FRIEND dad..why bother me...what do i want with him...embarrassed he dialled his daughter..she just shouted abck..shut the F..up dad..i am busy. got no time for your foggy friends...are these the kind of children I want..??HELL NO...they may have Higher Iq than mine..BUT mine woudl NEVER embarass me like that...even if they hated my friedn..they woudl still "save my face" and coem down for a hello sat sri akal and then disappear..BUT never shout at me...Eho jiheh ucheh IQ americannan nu mubarak..The Americans can have these high IQ ones..good riddance.

Gyani Singh ji,
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=26806

I don't know, as I said I was roundly beaten as a child and so I choose not to treat my kids the same way. They are wonderful children well the eldest in almost 17 so I guess I can call him a young adult now.

I think it says more about lax peranting than a lack of smacking though, the way kids seem to be I mean. I have managed to instill in my kids a healty respect for their parents and a disciplince which means they do as they are told(or even asked) without fail, heh although sometimes not without grumbling.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=26806

Yes of course I am biased but I swear to you sir, if ever you met them you would be congratulating their mother and me.

Even if we do not spank the Children, some physical restraint has to put to prevent them getting into trouble our getting others into trouble. this especially true for the boys. I never did have to spank my daughter. Maybe yelled at her a couple of times. that was sufficient.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=26806
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=26806
If I did not exactly spank my son, I did have hold him and shake him up a few times to prevent him from getting into trouble. But must have yelled at him countless number of times.

hahaha well said Gyani ji, i remember my friend's son who was beaten up regularly by his father. My friend would bash him up for the smallest reason be it his performance on his school report or every day chores. I once happened to visit him and as soon as i entered the house i heard father and son shouting. The son had learnt to shout back, i took a seat and was watching silently when my friend noticed me and started complaining about his son and then just warned him 'dare you do this i wont let you enter the house' I dunno what happened to his son he, i thnk was too frustrated with the everyday beating, suddenly he raised his finger and pointed at him with flashy eyes and said " Mainu vadda houn de tenu main vekh lehna" ( you wait, let me grow up and i will see you )
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=26806
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=26806

We were both aghast at that sudden reaction. He is cry baby and suddenly he got so red with anger. I advised him to stop taking him for granted and beating him so badly. If there is too much strictness this is what happens perhaps.

Just one woman's view from the US. I don't think it is spanking or not-spanking that turns children in to rude, offensive, insolent, brooding and morbid characters -- such as you described Gyani ji. This is a pattern among US youth that has been building for nearly 25 years. No longer do I personally enjoy being around young people like this. Where does it come from?
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=26806

Just one woman's view from the US The parents of such rude young people have spent their entire careers as parents "negotiating" with their kids, from the time they could speak. They are actually guilt-ridden people who are afraid that any frustration of their children, any limits or rules, will make them resent or hate "the parents." The old "frustration will make you neurotic/psychotic hypothesis" actually has been out of style for quite some time. The new hypothesis that took its place is "frustration will turn you against me, you will think I am a bad father/mother."
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=26806

The outcome? Just one woman's view from the US They actually grow up to have no ability to tolerate frustration, or take responsibility for their own lives. They cannot push themselves from within or delay even a minute to do the unpleasant things that go before success. In the end, they have not confidence or understanding of the emotions of others. They are angry anyway because now they are helpless -- remember their parents expected very little and so taught them next to nothing about character. And they are depressed. Don't laugh -- today we have teenagers on Prozac, Paxil and Zoloff.

Somewhere between spanking and caving in is the road to dharma.

If we follow what our Dasam Pita said, " Jin prem kio, tinh hee PRABH payeioh," then we will stop using our physical power over our weak kids and hug them when they make a mistake, lift them up when they fall down, smile rather than frown when they have a slip up or two.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=26806

By following the teachings of our Dasam Pita, we will be able to motivate our kids and hence, cultivate love and respect rather than disdain, anger and hatred.


Yes, The Bible says :"Do not with hold discipline from a child. if you BEAT him with a ROD, he will not die. Thou shalt BEAT him with a ROD and deliver his soul from Hell"
Proverbs 23:13,14.

Now let us talk about the above from our Gurmat values. Do we want our own father to be beating the hell out of us when we do something wrong or we want him to motivate us , forgive us when we make a mistake and hug us and love us no matter what?
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=26806
In other words instill goodness in us.

There was a pastor in Atlanta,Georgia, who used the above biblical verse literally in the Church and encouraged the parents to do the same and was rightfully jailed.

Lee, as the saying goes, " Good actions need no reasons but bad actions need a lot of justifications". So, the other side of the coin would be, you may have been turned out to be much better than you are if you had not been spanked.

Yes, in Punjabi culture, spanking is also common but it is against our Gurmat values.

Spanking is nothing but a child abuse which is incapable of breeding love and goodness.


Tejwant Singh

Lee, as the saying goes, " Good actions need no reasons but bad actions need a lot of justifications". So, the other side of the coin would be, you may have been turned out to be much better than you are if you had not been spanked.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=26806
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=26806

Tejwant ji - Thanks for pointing this out. In my opinion, your answer - deep.