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Surprising Science

Spank Not

New research shows that children who are spanked are more likely to become aggressive, building on a previous study showing that spanked children scored lower on cognitive tests.

Parents have long disagreed over whether children benefit from being spanked when they do something wrong. The American Academy of Pediatrics doesn’t think the practice is an effective tactic, but many parents have found otherwise. New research, however, shows that children who are spanked are more likely to become aggressive, building on previous research showing that spanked children scored lower on cognitive tests.


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