Spanking a risk factor for behavior problems among whit...( White children who are more frequently ...),Health

White children who are more frequently spanked before age two are at greater risk for having behavior problems by the time they reach elementary school when compared to those who were not. However, the same association does not appear to be true for African-American or Hispanic children, according to a study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The study is among the first to examine spanking frequency and its impact on behavior with children under age 2. It is published in the May 2004 issue of Pediatrics.

"While greater spanking frequency was a substantial risk factor for behavior problems in the white, non-Hispanic children, these results do not necessarily imply a cause and effect relationship between spanking before age 2 and later behavioral problems," said lead author Eric Slade, PhD, assistant professor with the School's Department of Health Policy and Management. "Our findings should be viewed cautiously. However, they are consistent with the results of previous studies conducted with children older than age 2, and suggest that the broader family context surrounding the use of spanking may influence the effects of spanking on children."

Previous studies have noted that spanking may be viewed with greater acceptance by African-American families and therefore is less likely to be seen as unfair or harsh treatment by children and parents. In white families, where spanking may be viewed negatively, frequent spanking before age 2 could be an indicator of other associated child development risk factors, such as high parent stress. Dr. Slade and co-author, Lawrence Wissow, MD, an associate professor in Health Policy and Management at the School of Public Health, found that white mothers who spanked their children more frequently were more likely to be depressed, had lower incomes and were less educated. The same factors were not associated with African-American or Hispanic mothers who spanked their children more fr
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Contact: Tim Parsons
paffairs@jhsph.edu
410-955-6878
Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health
3-May-2004

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