African American women generally utilize physical punishment, spanking, as a common way to discipline. This is another area in which Black female parents have come under criticism by social scientists and by the media. Just the mention of spanking children can induce heated debates. Spanking is effective in stopping a behavior immediately, though many may argue that the long-term effects are detrimental. Spanking can teach that aggression is a way to handle conflicts with others especially if the parents are seldom nurturing and always punishing.
Abusive parents do rely on spanking and hitting as a main source of dealing with behavior problems.
What must be said about spanking is that it exists in cultural contexts. For example, scientific studies show that many White middle and upper class children who receive physical punishment regularly become aggressive as adolescents and as adults. The data for Black children, regardless of economic background, suggests the opposite- that not using physical punishment is associated with behavior problems. Clearly culture is an important factor in how physical discipline is understood. An important factor in the debate on different forms of punishment is the perception that Black children have regarding their punishment.