Update on Physical Punishment

As people struggle to deal with little AJ Freund's death and now Tyreek Hill's issues with his son, it's a good time to consider recent information on clinical and research perspectives related to physical punishment.

Current research no longer divides physical punishment from physical abuse. Why? Because studies demonstrate that physical abuse is nearly always associated with physical punishment and the frustration, helplessness, and rage which can be related to efforts at behavioral discipline and socializing.

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychological Association recently urged using alternatives to physical punishment. While useful, they did not go far enough. One wishes they had called for a prohibition of physical punishment.

In countries that have prohibited physical punishment, the consequences are not punitive but educative—ie, help for parents and children with respect for infant, child, and adolescent development.

In one long-term outcome study in a European country that had banned physical punishment in all settings several years ago, results demonstrated a decrease in child homicides.

The problem may even be worse than we think. Most studies are self-reports. George Holden, a well-known researcher at Southern Methodist University, studied a cohort of mothers who allowed recorders on their arms for several hours a day. The mothers then self-reported the amount they used physical punishment. The recorders showed that they actually physically punished their children approximately 50% more than they reported.

Over 100 countries have prohibited physical punishment in schools. Over 50 countries have prohibited physical punishment in all settings. These prohibitions are consistent with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), adopted in 1989.

The United States? The U.S. has not prohibited physical punishment in all settings, and 19 states still permit physical punishment in schools.