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Spanking Out: Most Parents Opt to Talk with Misbehaving Kids

Misbehaving is part of growing up and learning right from wrong. Parents’ choices of discipline for their kids today include a wide range of options, from verbal discussions to physical punishment. But these days, how do parents let kids know they have stepped out of line?

In the latest C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health, the three most common discipline strategies parents report they are very likely to use include:

- Explain or reason with the child – 88%
- Take away a privilege or something the child enjoys – 70%
- Put child in a time a out or grounding – 59%

“Results of this national study indicate that the vast majority of parents are choosing not to spank or paddle their kids,” says Matthew Davis, MD, MAPP, an associate professor of pediatrics and communicable diseases in the CHEAR Unit at the University of Michigan Medical School. “While physical discipline is an option for some parents, the majority of parents are opting for verbal ways to get their points across.”

“Especially in light of recent research that points out how spanking can have negative affects on children, it’s important to know that spanking and paddling are not the national norm among parents today,” Davis adds.

Results of this poll show that 22% of parents report that the they are very likely to spank their children, while 10% paddle their children. Parents of preschool children are more likely to spank than parents of older children.

Researchers also found differences in choices of discipline by region. Parents who live in the West (31%) and South (20%) are more likely to spank their children compared to parents in the Midwest (16%) and Northeast (6%).

“These regional differences are a reminder that parents’ choices of discipline are rooted in strong cultural traditions,” Davis says. “Even as national trends have shifted away from physical to verbal discipline, there are likely community cues and informal networks of parents and grandparents that influence how parents discipline their kids. These intergenerational factors can affect how discipline strategies change over time.”

Source: University of Michigan Health System