Perspectives on the effects of corporal punishment: comment on Gershoff (2002)

Parental use of corporal punishment has been a contentious child-rearing topic for thousands of years. E. T. Gershoff's (2002) meta-analyses undoubtedly will rekindle the debate over whether parents should spank their children. The quality of the existing data is discussed as well as several surprising findings from the meta-analyses. The effects of corporal punishment are then considered from the perspectives of learning theory, socialization theory, and the child's point of view. Her ecological-process model is then evaluated in light of these perspectives. Research directions and social policy implications are addressed.