Physical punishments do not leave any negative impact on children if they know that they're being loved by their parents, a new study says.
The study, carried out by a team of researchers from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, looked at 189 Mexican-American adolescents and their parents. Researchers found that a "loving mother" or the "perception of maternal warmth" helps children to avoid the development of antisocial behavior, Express U.K. reported.
"The relationship between the two is conditional and subject to other factors," Dr. Miguelina German told Express. "Where harsh disciplinary practices are a cultural norm, there are always other influences at play that can lessen their potential harm on the young child."
The findings, reported in the journal Parenting: Science And Practice, have already started inviting criticism from different charity organizations and parenting groups across the world, The Telegraph reported.
"Smacking is not an effective form of punishment and undermines the trusting relationship between a child and their carer," a representative of The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) in England told The Telegraph. "And it just teaches children to be violent. Young people tell us smacking leaves them feeling upset but often doesn't deter them from doing what they were smacked for. We want to help parents use other more constructive methods to teach their children the difference between right and wrong."
Strict parenting and harsh punishment during childhood have been topics of controversy for a long time. Many previous studies have stated the long-term risks of hitting or shoving a child.
According to a study published in Pediatrics in July 2012, physical punishments can pave the way for severe mental health problems such as mood and anxiety disorders, substance abuse or dependence and personality disorders in adulthood.
Another study published in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine in November 2012 found that harsh punishment during childhood increases the risk of many deadly diseases including cancer, heart disease and asthma in adulthood.
