POLL: Is Spanking Ever A Good Idea?

Punishing a child by spanking, striking, or slapping him or her could lead to mental disorders in that child during adulthood, a new study has found.

Adults who reported being punished in this way during childhood had a greater risk of mood disorders, anxiety disorders, alcohol and drug abuse dependence, and several personality disorders, according to Tracie Afifi, PhD, of the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, and colleagues.

Indeed, up to 7 percent of some adult disorders can be linked to "harsh physical punishment" in childhood, Afifi and colleagues reported online in Pediatrics.

The findings "provide evidence that harsh physical punishment independent of child maltreatment is related to mental disorders," Afifi and colleagues concluded.

In general, most studies find that spanking is effective in immediately correcting behavior. But when one looks at whether spanking is effective in preventing a child from engaging in misbehaviors later on, the answer is usually no. Studies also find that many parents spank for even the most trivial of misbehaviors.

The results of an informal survey of dozens of Montclair parents shows that not one agrees with spanking a child.

"I really don't know anyone in all my years as a parent who did or admitted to doing 'harsh physical punishment' as a parent," said Montclair parent Nancy Toomey.

When she was young, Toomey said the fear of having deserved to be disciplined was enough of a punishment.

Another parent, Mary Gallagher, said that taking away a privilege—such as computer time—is more effective than spanking.

"I would never spank a child," she said.

Meanwhile, spanking in school—typically with a paddle—is still permitted under the law in 19 states. (New Jersey, though, does not allow corporal punishment in school.) The practice is most common in the Midwest and South.

According to a report from the Juvenile Information Exchange released earlier this year, more than 28,500 students in Georgia alone were spanked in 2008, mostly in rural counties.

For more information on the above study that links spanking with problems in adulthood, go here.

What do you think? Is spanking ever warranted? Take our poll and let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.