Strengthening Causal Estimates for Links Between Spanking and Children’s Externalizing Behavior Problems

Abstract

Establishing causal links when experiments are not feasible is an important challenge for psychology researchers. The question of whether parents’ spanking causes children’s externalizing behavior problems poses such a challenge because randomized experiments of spanking are unethical and correlational studies cannot rule out potential selection factors. This study used propensity score matching based on the lifetime prevalence and recent incidence of spanking in a large and nationally representative sample (N=12,112) as well as lagged dependent variables to get as close to causal estimates outside an experiment as possible. Whether children were spanked at age 5 predicted increases in externalizing behavior problems by ages 6 and 8, even after the groups based on spanking prevalence or incidence were matched on a range of sociodemographic, family, and cultural characteristics and children’s initial behavior problems These statistically rigorous methods afford a conclusion that spanking predicts a deterioration of children’s externalizing behavior over time.

Spanking and young children’s socioemotional development in low- and middle-income countries

“…Scholars, practitioners, and policy makers continue to debate about the merits of spanking, in part due to correlational evidence. Nevertheless, the highest quality studies, which employ various methods to statistically control for possible confounders (e.g., Gershoff, Sattler, & Ansari, 2018 ; Ma, Grogan-Kaylor, & Lee, 2018 ), consistently demonstrate negative effects of spanking, and even “small effects can translate into large societal impacts” ( Gershoff & Grogan-Kaylor, 2016 , p. 465). At best, spanking is likely an ineffective practice for helping children develop socially and emotionally; at worst, it is likely harmful to children across the world.…”

Associations of Harsh Physical Punishment and Child Maltreatment in Childhood With Antisocial Behaviors in Adulthood

“… 6 For example, studies have found that spanking was associated with increased aggression, 7 behavioral problems, 8 antisocial behavior, 9 , 10 and externalizing behaviors during childhood. 1 , 11 , 12 Many of the previous studies have focused on the early developmental period of preschool or young, school-aged children, with the time between assessments varying across studies. Less is known about how physical punishment in childhood is associated with antisocial behaviors in adulthood.…”

Physical punishment of children by US parents: moving beyond debate to promote children’s health and well-being

“…Over the last 50 years, the physical punishment of children has attracted considerable empirical attention from social scientists. This research suggests, overwhelmingly, that spanking does more harm than good (see Ferguson, 2013;Gershoff & Grogan-Kaylor, 2016;Gershoff, Sattler, & Ansari, 2017;Gromoske & Maguire-Jack, 2012). Physical punishment has also been acknowledged internationally as a violation of human rights (United Nations, 2015).…”

“…However, as defenders of the research remind us, much of the correlational evidence comes from studies that are statistically rigorous and use multi-variate models that attempt to control for extraneous variables. These studies have consistently documented that physical punishment increases the risk that children will experience harm or develop behavior problems, suggesting a causal pathway from parental physical punishment to negative developmental outcomes (Gershoff & Grogan-Kaylor, 2016;Gershoff, Sattler, & Ansari, 2017). Plus, defenders of the research argue it is neither feasible nor ethical, to randomly assign parents and children into experimental and control groups.…”