Spanking, smacking, shaking—however it’s framed, physical punishment does more harm than good. A sweeping new study from New York University’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, covering 195 studies across 92 countries, found that
physical punishment is linked to poorer academic, social, and mental health outcomes in kids. The takeaway? There’s zero evidence of benefit, and plenty of proof that it can hold children back in lasting ways.
Click through the gallery to find out what the research says and why gentler parenting may be the smarter path forward.