Survey: Link between spanking and adult behavior issues
Jul 2, 2012, 4:49 PM
PHOENIX – Being spanked as a child could cause problems in your adult life.
A new University of Manitoba study said adults who were spanked as a child have a greater risk of mood, personality and anxiety disorders and are more dependent on alcohol and drugs.
Valley psychologist Dr. Dena Cabrera believes the study is accurate.
“It would be likely that someone would grow up with experiencing a mood disorder or anxiety,” she said. “Often times, spanking doesn’t give the child a new behavior to learn.”
Cabrera said that many times, spanking tells the child that it is better not get caught.
“There’s definitely a relationship between some type of trauma, whether it’s harsh punishment, consistent, on-going spanking, slapping, hitting and the way they behave as an adult,” she said.
The survey claimed that the risk of adult drug and alcohol dependence is 53 percent higher among people who were spanked, slapped or hit by their parents. It also said that up to seven percent of some adult disorders can be attributed to harsh physical punishment in childhood.
