American Psychological Association: Eliminate physical punishment

August 10, 2009

Scientific American reports today that a task force appointed by the American Psychological Association concludes that “parents and caregivers should reduce and potentially eliminate their use of any physical punishment as a disciplinary measure.”

[Task force chair psychologist Sandra A. Graham-Bermann of the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor]  explained that the group of 15 experts in child development and psychology found correlations between physical punishment and an increase in childhood anxiety and depression, an increase in behavioral problems including aggression, and impaired cognitive development—even when the child’s pre-punishment behavior and development was taken into consideration.

Read the full article.