#Doctors Issued New #Warnings About #Spanking #Children For The First Time In 20 Years
The American Academy of Pediatrics has hardened its stance against spanking children as a form of parental discipline.
In a new policy statement, published in the journal Pediatrics on Monday, the pediatricians association recommends that adults caring for children use “healthy forms of discipline” — such as positive reinforcement of appropriate behaviors, and setting limits and expectations — and not use spanking, hitting, slapping, threatening, insulting, humiliating or shaming.
The policy statement updates guidance published in 1998 that recommended: “parents be encouraged and assisted in developing methods other than spanking in response to undesired behavior.”
“In the 20 years since that policy was first published, there’s been a great deal of additional research, and we’re...