Spanking and IQ loss
Two new studies say that spanking your children makes them significantly less intelligent
Does spanking make children less smart?
(Corbis/John Springer Collection)
Parents, you’ve heard that “spanking your kids probably isn’t the greatest use of a teachable moment,” said Maggie Mertens in NPR’s Health Blog. Well, it can also knock five points off your child’s IQ, according to two new studies by University of New Hampshire sociologist Murray Straus. The effect is strongest in 2- to 4-year-olds, and the spanking-IQ correlation holds up both in the U.S. and in the 32 other countries Straus studied.
"Less-than-ideal practice? Maybe," said Paula Spencer in Woman's Day. "The ruin of society? I don't buy it. Never have. A whole generation of parents was spanked, and most of us turned out okay."
“How might getting spanked on the butt actually affect the workings of the brain?” said John Cloud in Time. Straus says it has to do with “fright and stress,” which make it harder to focus and learn. He could have it backward, of course—maybe kids with “poor reasoning skills misbehave more often”—but other studies back Straus’ interpretation of the data.
The evidence seems pretty conclusive, said Salynn Boyles in WedMD Health News. In a 2002 survey of 88 spanking studies, 90 percent found spanking to be detrimental, raising incidents of aggression, anti-social behavior, and mental-health issues. Critics point out that Straus and other spanking researchers “strongly oppose the practice,” tainting the data, but Straus notes that even if it only has a small effect on IQ, it’s one that parents can control.
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31 Comments
Posted by Casey T, Monday, September 28, 2009, 11:34 am correlation does not imply causality. I don't have kids and I don't have an opinion on spanking but, from what I've read of the studies, there isn't much evidence that spanking CAUSES lower IQ's. playing basketball won't make you taller even though lots of professional basketball players are tall.
Posted by Aaron, Monday, September 28, 2009, 12:10 pm This is just another in a long line of attempts by liberal do gooders to tell other people how to live. It seems to be a constant theme with them. I guess they just simply know better than the rest of us.
Posted by MD, Monday, September 28, 2009, 12:47 pm My children were spanked, but not beaten, when they needed to be corrected. They are in college, 4.0, Dean's list. They were honor roll every yr. of school. Now you troublemakers who are sending this country down the tubes, need to rethink this crap your dishing. We've taken god and the bible and 10 commandments out of school, Gov., and every other possible place they can take it away. Now, It's spanking!!! And they want to know why we have kids killing, raping, stealing, and everything else imaginable. Our forefathers didn't want this!
Posted by DB, Monday, September 28, 2009, 12:49 pm Spot on, Casey T. Too many of these types of studies imply causality, when they merely point out correlation.
Posted by LOL@MD, Monday, September 28, 2009, 2:00 pm By all means spank your kids, no one cares and its completely irrelevant if they were on the honor roll, dean's list or made it to college completely irrelevant. We're talking about 5 IQ points not 50. You seem to hold your religious beliefs in the same regards as spanking your kids, which is amusing. While this study may be bunk, your post is far more bunkified.
Posted by Johnny Reb, Monday, September 28, 2009, 2:30 pm The real likeliehood here is that the kids who get their arse whupped are less intelligent ito start with. The less intelligent kids are more likely to act out or rebel and get in trouble.
Posted by Daniel, Monday, September 28, 2009, 2:42 pm Johhny Reb What about taking another step back? Perhaps less intelligent parents who thus have less intelligent children do more spanking. I think this is a logical and obvious explanation for these studies.
Posted by Tracie, Monday, September 28, 2009, 2:51 pm I don't think IQ has much to do with getting in trouble. There are low IQ kids that are docile and obedient and high IQ kids are known to get into trouble when they are bored...which can be often. Children remember and fear spankings, not time outs. Therefore I believe spanking is a more useful deterrent, up to a certain age, and can be used less often since it is more effectively retained. I think getting into trouble has much more to do with needing more focused attention than it does with IQ or spanking.
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