To Spank or Not to Spank . . . To Spank or Not to Spank . . . According to national surveys, over 90 percent of parents have spanked their children at least once during the past year. As many as 80 to 90 percent of the U.S. population reports that parents have not only the right, but the moral obligation to spank or slap.
Mothers spank more than fathers, and boys are spanked more often than girls.
Professional advice about spanking is mixed. Among researchers, there is a fairly heated debate over the effects of spanking. Critics of spanking cite research that children who are physically punished, especially harshly, are at risk for being more aggressive toward peers and toward their own children when they become parents. These children are at increased risk for becoming delinquent and emotionally maladjusted. This group of experts recommend that the United States should follow the example of some European countries and totally outlaw spanking by teachers and parents.