Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 2, 2026

The Other End of the Leash: An Experimental Test to Analyze How Owners Interact with Their Pet Dogs
08:59

The Other End of the Leash: An Experimental Test to Analyze How Owners Interact with Their Pet Dogs

Published on: October 13, 2017

20.9K

Parental spanking of 1-year-old children and subsequent child protective services involvement

Shawna J Lee1, Andrew Grogan-Kaylor1, Lawrence M Berger2

  • 1University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA.

Child Abuse & Neglect
|March 8, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Spanking infants and toddlers at age 1 is linked to a higher chance of child protective services (CPS) involvement later. Parents should use alternative discipline methods to ensure child safety and well-being.

Area of Science:

  • Child Development
  • Public Health
  • Social Work

Background:

  • Physical punishment, including spanking, is common among U.S. parents, often starting in early childhood.
  • Early childhood is a critical period for development and establishing discipline strategies.
  • Child Protective Services (CPS) involvement is a significant concern for child welfare.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between spanking at age 1 and subsequent CPS involvement.
  • To provide empirical evidence to inform parenting practices and professional guidance.
  • To highlight the need for early intervention in promoting positive discipline.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal community-based study of 2,788 families with new births in urban areas.
  • Prospective analysis of spanking by parents/partners at child's age 1.
  • Examination of CPS involvement between ages 1 and 5.

Main Results:

  • 30% of 1-year-olds experienced spanking in the past month.
  • Spanking at age 1 was associated with a 33% increased probability of later CPS involvement (aOR=1.36).
  • No evidence suggests positive effects of physical punishment on children.

Conclusions:

  • Spanking infants and toddlers is linked to negative outcomes, including increased risk of CPS involvement.
  • Healthcare and social work professionals should advise parents against spanking young children.
  • Parent education on alternative discipline strategies should commence within the child's first year.

Keywords:
AbuseCorporal punishmentDisciplineFragile familiesInfantMaltreatmentPhysical punishment

More Related Videos

A Common Marmoset Model of Mother-Infant Intervention for Breastfeeding Disorders in the Presence of Paternal Inhibition and Maternal Neglect05:04

A Common Marmoset Model of Mother-Infant Intervention for Breastfeeding Disorders in the Presence of Paternal Inhibition and Maternal Neglect

Published on: September 22, 2023

1.3K
Assessing the Coherence of Parents' Short Narratives Regarding their Child Using the Five-Minute Speech Sample Procedure07:56

Assessing the Coherence of Parents' Short Narratives Regarding their Child Using the Five-Minute Speech Sample Procedure

Published on: September 19, 2019

11.6K

Related Concept Videos

Parenting Styles01:27

Parenting Styles

Diana Baumrind's four parenting styles — authoritarian, authoritative, neglectful, and permissive — each influence children's socio-emotional development differently.
Authoritarian Parenting
This style is strict and controlling, with little room for open dialogue. Authoritarian parents demand obedience and often enforce rules with minimal warmth. Children raised this way may lack social skills and initiative, usually comparing themselves to others unfavorably.
Authoritative...
952
Relationship with Parents: Attachment01:28

Relationship with Parents: Attachment

Parent-child interactions lay the foundation for how we understand relationships throughout life. These interactions are not uniform across families; instead, they are shaped by a range of environmental, emotional, and behavioral factors unique to each caregiver-child dynamic. Social psychologists study these early relationships to understand how patterns formed in infancy influence social functioning and interpersonal behavior in adulthood.Attachment Theory and Early Relational ModelsJohn...
376
Relationship with Other Adult Family Members and Siblings01:29

Relationship with Other Adult Family Members and Siblings

Other adult family members and siblings play a crucial role in shaping children’s social and emotional development. While parents or primary caregivers are often the central figures in early attachment and socialization, other adults in a child’s life, such as grandparents, aunts, and uncles, can significantly influence developmental outcomes. These influences depend on each adult’s personality and may help compensate when a primary caregiver is emotionally distant or...
283
Conduct Disorder01:28

Conduct Disorder

Conduct disorder is a complex mental health diagnosis characterized by a repetitive and persistent pattern of behavior that violates societal norms, the rights of others, or age-appropriate rules. The diagnostic criteria for conduct disorder require the presence of at least three problematic behaviors within the past 12 months, with at least one occurring in the past six months. These behaviors are grouped into four categories: aggression toward people and animals; destruction of property;...
1.0K
Theory of Romantic Attachment in Adulthood03:34

Theory of Romantic Attachment in Adulthood

Attachment is a long-standing connection or bond with others. While Attachment Theory was conceived in developmental psychology to describe infant-caregiver bonding, it's been extended into adulthood to include romantic relationships. 
40.4K
Attachment01:20

Attachment

Attachment is vital for infant development, as warm social interactions support growth and well-being. In a classic 1958 study by Harry Harlow, the significance of warmth and comfort in forming attachments was examined. Harlow separated newborn monkeys from their mothers and provided two artificial "mothers": one made of cold wire and the other covered in soft cloth. Despite the wire mother offering food, the infant monkeys preferred the comfort of the cloth mother, demonstrating that...
790