Do Not Spank Your Child: 50 Years Of Research

It might not be a spanking new tidbit, but spanking children does not generate good manners, only bad behavior, according to a new study from the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Michigan. Scientists analyzed 75 cases involving more than 150,000 children over 50 years.

"This is a wide swath of children and the findings are incredibly consistent," study author Dr. Elizabeth Gershoff told CBS News. "This shows there is a correlation between spanking and negative outcomes and absolutely no correlation between spanking and positive outcomes."

Hitting kids only leads to worse behavior, in the long run, said Elizabeth Gershoff, an associate professor of human development and family sciences at the University of Texas at Austin. It can make them aggressive and antisocial.

"The irony is that many parents spank when their kids are aggressive. So the child thinks you can use spanking to get what you want - kids learn that" she said.

Even though modern parenting techniques admonish spanking parents, Gershoff said spanking still holds water with many households.

"There's research showing that by the time most kids get to high school, at least 85 percent have been spanked. So, most kids are being spanked," said Gershoff.

Even though objects are not used to spank children, the practice is alive and kicking, said Gershoff.

Dr. David Pollack, a pediatrician who works with many of The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's primary care locations in the Philadelphia area, told CBS News that she has watched many parents spank their children. "I may, on rare occasion, actually see it happen in my office, where most parents are trying to be on their best behaviors."

"To make ourselves feel better about it, we use spanking as a euphemism, but it's still hitting. There's no way to define spanking without using the word hitting," said Gershoff.

The study, published in the Journal of Family Psychology, defines spanking as an "open-handed hit on the behind or extremities, and reported that it was linked with 13 out of 17 outcomes -- all negative -- including defying parents, acting aggressive, and exhibiting mental health problems and cognitive difficulties."

The study examines not abusive behavior, but what parents view as "spanking" for discipline.

It is important to emphasize the positive, said Gershoff. "It's not one single technique. It's a host of behaviors parents should do. They involve the relationship between a parent and child and rewarding the child when they do the right thing."

She said, "People think if you don't spank you're a pushover, but you can be a firm parent with high expectations for children. You don't have to hit them to show you have power."