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Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood
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Physical punishment and child outcomes: a narrative review of prospective studies

Anja Heilmann1, Anita Mehay1, Richard G Watt1

  • 1Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, UK.

Lancet (London, England)
|July 1, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Physical punishment is harmful to children, consistently predicting increased behavior problems and risks. Evidence from 69 studies shows negative outcomes, warranting policy changes to protect child welfare.

Area of Science:

  • Child Psychology
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Physical punishment is increasingly recognized as a harmful practice impacting child development.
  • Existing research highlights potential negative consequences, necessitating a comprehensive review.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To synthesize findings from prospective longitudinal studies on the outcomes of physical punishment.
  • To inform practitioners and policymakers about the detrimental effects of physical punishment on children.

Main Methods:

  • A narrative review of 69 prospective longitudinal studies was conducted.
  • Key themes and consistent findings regarding physical punishment were identified and summarized.

Main Results:

  • Physical punishment consistently predicts increased child behavior problems over time.
  • It is associated with increased risk of child protective services involvement and no positive outcomes.
  • Findings are robust across various child and parent characteristics, with some evidence of a dose-response relationship.

Conclusions:

  • Physical punishment is demonstrably harmful to children, leading to negative developmental trajectories.
  • The consistent evidence supports the need for policy interventions to reduce or eliminate physical punishment.

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