Leading pediatrics group calls for ban on spanking

(KMSP) - In a significant move Monday, the nation's leading pediatrics group is taking a stronger stance against spanking. 

In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics is calling for a ban against corporal punishment, saying it is both ineffective and can impact normal brain development for kids. 

In the short run, the group says, the disciplinary tactic is minimally effective. In the long run, spanking makes young children more aggressive. 

“I think it's really confusing because we teach children not to hit, not to hurt others and not to be angry or yell, but then what we're doing in turn is when they do something wrong, we hit them,” said early education expert Alise McGregor, who founded Little Newtons Educational Daycare in the Twin Cities. 

The new policy updates guidelines from the late '90s, which discouraged spanking. 

Now, the group wants to ban the practice as a whole saying it can cause children to be fearful, elevate stress hormones and even cause changes in the architecture of the brain. 

In one study, 3-year-olds who were spanked more than twice a month were more aggressive by age 5. By age 9, those same children had lower receptive vocabulary scores. 

“As a parent, you kind of have to have a bag of tricks and figure out, you know your child,” McGregor said. 

The recommendations go beyond physical discipline, also warning about the dangers of "verbal punishment" like shaming or humiliation.

The policy highlights rewarding good behavior and setting rules and expectations as effective alternatives.   

“The number one takeaway is positivity, and it can be used in so many different ways in teaching your child and guiding them to be strong adults. I think that's the biggest job we as parents have,” McGregor said. 

The policy statement will be published in the December issue of Pediatrics.