Spanking Raises Chances of Risky, Deviant Sexual Behavior

[Refugee 7]

THURSDAY, Feb. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers have uncovered another damaging consequence of spanking: risky sexual behaviors, or even sexual deviancy, when the child grows up.

"This adds one more harmful side effect to spanking," said Murray Straus, a spanking expert who was expected to present the findings of four studies at the American Psychological Association's Summit on Violence and Abuse in Relationships in Bethesda, Md., on Thursday.

"I think that it's pretty powerful," said Elizabeth Gershoff, an assistant professor at the University of Michigan's School of Social Work. "It's across several studies and across different forms of either risky or deviant sexual behavior."

Straus, who was the author of all four studies, hopes the findings will raise awareness among child development experts.

"My hope is to convince my colleagues that they ought to put this in their textbooks," said Straus, co-director of the Family Research Laboratory at the University of New Hampshire, in Durham. "It's amazing. Something experienced by all American kids gets an average of half a page in child development textbooks, and not a single one comes to the conclusion that parents should never spank."

Even the revered Dr. Spock, who was anti-spanking, never came right out and advised parents outright not to do it, he added. Instead, Spock advised "avoiding it if you can."

A meta-analysis of spanking studies conducted by Gershoff found 93 percent agreement among studies that spanking can lead to such problems as delinquent and anti-social behavior in childhood along with aggression, criminal and anti-social behavior and spousal or child abuse as an adult.

"There's probably nothing else in child development that has 93 percent agreement in results," Straus said.

Five percent of people who have never been spanked hit their partners, versus 25 percent of those who were spanked frequently.

However, some 90 percent of U.S. parents spank toddlers, according to Straus.

The review being presented at the meeting are the first to look at the relationship of spanking to sexual behavior.

They found that spanking and other corporal punishment is associated with an increased probability of verbally and physically coercing a dating partner to have sex; risky sex such as premarital sex without using a condom; and masochistic sex such as spanking during sex.

There is a "dose response" at work here. "The more parents spank, the higher the probability of harmful side effects," Straus noted.

Of course, there's a similar dose response for smokers. But if someone reaches the age of 65 without developing lung cancer, it doesn't mean that smoking isn't harmful. It means the person was one of the lucky ones.

It's the same with spanking, Straus said. "If a person says, 'I was spanked, and I don't have any interest in bondage and discipline sex, that's correct, but it's not because spanking is OK, it's because they're one of the lucky ones."

And spanking a child once may be like picking up that first cigarette. "The trouble is, if you have a 2-year-old, you pretty soon decide you can't avoid it. The recidivism rate for whatever 'crime' you correct a 2-year-old for is about 50 percent in two hours."

"I've been researching corporal punishment for 30 years and, in the course of that time, the evidence has accumulated that it doesn't work any better than non-corporal punishment but has harmful side effects.

I have come to the conclusion that parents should never, ever spank because, although it does work, it's no better than non-hitting methods that don't have harmful side effects. If there was an FDA for spanking, they'd say use an alternative that doesn't have harmful side effects."

More information

Visit the Center for Effective Discipline for other ways to discipline your child.

[Wingspan91089 0]

wow, that sounds like a bunch of bollocks IMO.

[nurktwin 2,143]

what a bunch of shit, these people should be spanked to death. it's because of people like this that kids run rampant and grow up to be useless assholes that rob, beat and kill people. and as far as this guy bringing in an excuse like cigs to prove his point, means he doesn't have a point. let's find his address and all go beat the shit out of him.

[Echosoftom 3]

What a bunch of hooey! I swear I'm in the wrong field. It floors me that people are getting paid good money to do this type of research.

[agirl 0]

a spanking expert

God, what's next?

[angelic_22 0]

wonder what that expert was spanking

[Refugee 7]

Oh come now! This explains why you all are sex perverts, LOL! Especially you, Nurk!

[Echosoftom 3]

^ I think Nurk would rather enjoy a little spanking, LOL!

[Pettyjunkie 0]

^LOL

What a bunch of crap! If you ask me, half the kids at my high school could use a good ass kicking!

[Dynabeat Tim 0]

That explains why so many women I dated wanted to be spanked before sex !! LOL

Can you imagine when you were a kid and you told your mom or dad "don't spank for that or I'll grow up liking it " LOL I even remember the principal at school giving spankings for being late for classes. I also remember a female sub teacher giving a young girl a spanking in the 8th grade !! In fact spanking was handed out by parents, relatives and school official's quite regularly. Now we know the source of todays' problems. LOL

[Flower 0]

I agree this is a crock of shit. I had my ass whiped as a kid. I am not even close to sexual deviancy.

[Wingspan91089 0]

^ LMAO! Well, according to the article, you were "one of the lucky ones."

[Mary Jane 49 0]

Do-Gooders again !!We got spanked at school and at home , Now the kids are wrapped in cotton wool ,and thats the problem

[Wingspan91089 0]

^ I agree with you. My parents used to spank us, and quite honestly, I think we're better for it. We don't dare do anything wrong now. LOL! Like Stephanie said, most kids need a good kick in the ass. Maybe it'll knock some sense into them.

[asakitten 13]

Well that explains all my problems.

What a bunch of crap.

[wild1forever 152]

God, what's next?

LMAO!!! A "spanking expert"...geez, I want that job.

[Starfish 0]

My parents rarely spanked us, but it happened occasionally (more often to the older of my brothers). The neighbor kids were actually whipped with willow branches, but their parents called that spanking. Big difference between that and a whack on the backside with a hand. It would be interesting to know what the "expert" actually considers spanking.

[agirl 0]

Christine, we got spanked at school, too. The nuns carried yardsticks hooked to their belts and whacked [usually the boys] anyone that they thought needed it. My parents hardly ever spanked us. In fact I don't think I ever got it, but my sister did. Just knowing it could happen was enough for me.

[surfnburn 5]

^Does this mean that those nuns are spreading sexual deviancy..lol

Yeah...I have to wonder if there were other factors involved with spankings. And like Nancy said, what do they consider a spanking?

[agirl 0]

^ LMAO!! I never thought of that ames.