What is spanking?
Q: What is spanking?
A: Spanking is hitting the buttocks of another person to cause them pain, usually with an open hand.
Q: Is spanking used to punish children and teenagers in all countries?
A: No, in some countries it is no longer allowed.
Q: Are boys more likely to be spanked than girls?
A: Yes, from the past up to the present day, adults have spanked boys more than they have spanked girls.
Q: How do parents typically administer a spanking?
A: Parents usually strike the child's buttocks with their open hand or use other objects such as a belt or wooden spoon. The child's buttocks may be clothed or bare and often the parent makes the child lie across their lap or bend over or lie face down across a bed.
Q: How do children feel when they are being spanked by their parents?
A: Many children say that it makes them feel sad, angry, and afraid. Some young children in the United Kingdom whose parents spank them said things like “it feels like someone banged you with a hammer” and “it hurts and it’s painful inside – it’s like breaking your bones”.
Q: What does the American Academy of Pediatrics say about using spanking as punishment for children?
A: The American Academy of Pediatrics says that spanking is not a good way to help children learn how to behave because it can easily injure a small child and lead to child abuse; they also advise against using any objects when administering a spanking.
Q: What has research found about how effective (or ineffective)spanking is at teaching good behavior? A: Research done over many years shows that spanking does not work; instead, it can make children obey less as time goes on and become more aggressive over time; additionally, research has shown that there are no benefits from using this form of punishment - only harm - including mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, mania, drug/alcohol abuse etc., as well as decreased ability to think clearly and increased tendency towards hurting others.
