But when you look a little closer at these findings, they start to seem a bit murky. To begin with, observes Dr. Den Trumbull, a Montgomery, Ala., pediatrician who is vocal in the spanking debate, the mothers ranged in age from 14 to 21. That is hardly a representative slice of American motherhood. Moreover, those who spanked did so on average twice a week. According to Trumbull, more sophisticated studies have consistently shown that corporal punishment is effective and not harmful to long-term development if it is confined to youngsters between 18 months and 6 years.
Younger children have a poor understanding of the consequences of their behavior.
Still, he says, punishment should be limited to one or two mild slaps on the buttocks. His views are widely shared. More than two-thirds of pediatricians in recent polls approved parental spanking in certain situations. The slap literally imprints on him the need for safety. No one would consider that child abuse.