Instead, conclusions support the harmfulness of spanking. Spanking and other forms of physical punishment teach children that it is all right to hit people who are smaller and weaker. Physical punishment causes parents to lose an opportunity to teach children alternative behaviors which are socially acceptable. Its use sometimes leads to physical abuse and it contributes to the cycle of child abuse. Many community institutions and agencies such as churches, YWCA's and YMCA'S, mental health centers and schools offer parenting programs for parents who feel they need help with discipline.
Public libraries have many good books which provide information on child development and discipline.
Center for Effective Discipline, Columbus, Ohio 1996. Paper delivered at the Ninth National Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect, Denver, Colorado. Patterns of Child Rearing. Physical Violence in American Families Risk Factors and Adaptations to Violence in 8,145 Families.