Study: Corporal Punishment Makes Children Anxious and Aggressive

The more frequently parents physically punish their children, the more anxious and aggressive those children grow up to be — and this has been confirmed for each of the nine cultures studied. These conclusions came from the large-scale 15-year Parenting Across Cultures project, which covered 4,500 families from China and the Philippines to Kenya, Sweden, and the United States. The project's findings were presented in a public lecture by its lead researcher — psychologist Liane Peña Alampay from the Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines.

Over the course of fifteen years, children and parents were regularly surveyed and tested. The picture proved unequivocal: frequent physical punishment over time predicted increases in anxiety and aggression in children. In countries where spanking is considered socially acceptable, the association was somewhat weaker, but punishment brought no benefits anywhere. "In the Philippines, corporal punishment is often considered synonymous with discipline. I want to change that: discipline can take many different forms. Children need to be raised with guidance, but not through cruelty or pain," the psychologist emphasized.

Equally important was the other side — parental warmth. Rejection, coldness, and hostility within the family predicted emotional and behavioral difficulties that persisted in children from ages 7 to 14. Those children who felt valued and accepted were significantly less likely to suffer from aggression, antisocial behavior, depression, and anxiety. The researchers distinguish between two approaches: the authoritarian style, built on strictness and unconditional obedience (most pronounced among Filipino parents), and the authoritative style, where demands are complemented by warmth, dialogue, and respect for the child's opinion.

Beyond the general ineffectiveness of corporal punishment, a reverse mechanism was also discovered: children who helped with household chores and supported their siblings more often grew up willing to help others. Among Filipino families, such involvement even mitigated the consequences of poor parenting.

The scientific findings are already being put into practice. In the Philippines, the Masayang Pamilya ("Happy Family") program is in operation, teaching parents specific techniques — from ready-made conversation scripts to stress management. Trials showed a reduction in child maltreatment, with the effect persisting even a year later. The program is now being incorporated into mandatory family sessions for social welfare recipients.

Sweden, one of the nine countries in the project, was the first in the world to ban corporal punishment — back in 1979. Today, a similar ban is in effect in more than 60 countries; Russia is not among them. The key, in the psychologist's view, is supporting rather than condemning parents: "We ourselves are a product of our history and of how we were raised; we simply don't know any other way." Parents, she added, are eager to learn new approaches — they just need to be shown techniques that work.