Children who are spanked are more likely to have sexual problems as teens or adults, according to new research from the Family Research Laboratory at the University of New Hampshire. The study, conducted by Murray Straus, was presented today at the American Psychological Association's Summit on Violence and Abuse in Relationships. To arrive at his conclusion, Straus analyzed the results of four previous studies and found that spanking and other corporal punishment by parents to be associated with an increased probability of three sexual problems as a teen or adult:
- Verbally and physically coercing a dating partner to have sex.
- Risky sex such as premarital sex without a condom.
- Masochistic sex such as being aroused by being spanked when having sex.
"These results, together with the results of more than 100 other studies, suggest that spanking is one of the roots of relationship violence and mental health problems. Because there is 93 percent agreement between studies that investigated harmful side effects of spanking, and because over 90 percent of U.S. parents spank toddlers, the potential benefits for prevention of sexual and relationship violence is large," Straus says.
Commenting on the findings, Straus said that spanking or corporal punishment likely weakens the bond between the child and the parents. He believes that this alienation from parents may make teenagers less likely to avoid sex and less likely to follow safe sex practices. In regard to masochistic sex, Straus contends that being spanked by loving parents confuses love with violence, which increases the probability that violence will be part of making love. "Being spanked as a child inclines people to want to be spanked when having sex, and that this is especially likely to be true when there is a combination of lots of spanking and lots of love," Straus noted.
To reduce the use of corporal punishment, Straus recommends that the American Psychological Association, the U.S. Children's Bureau, and other organizations publicize a recommendation that parents should never spank. "However, to make this work, we need to start by informing professionals who advise parents about the evidence-base for that policy. They need this information to be able to give appropriate information and help to parents about replacing spanking with positive discipline to correct misbehavior," he concluded.
Related:
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Source: University of New Hampshire
