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The American Academy of Pediatrics—the country’s leading group of experts on childrens’ health—has updated its policy on spanking, is calling on parents to stop physically punishing children. The organization is offering evidence showing that it doesn’t work and causes long-term mental-health problems. Published Monday, the report suggests parents use techniques like positive reinforcement and setting limits, saying that spanking leads to “increased risk of negative behavioral, cognitive, psychosocial, and emotional outcomes for children” and doesn’t improve behavior in the long term, ” further stating that “The AAP recommends that parents do not use spanking, hitting, slapping, threatening, insulting, humiliating, or shaming.”
