For parents who spank their children, a new study may cause them to question their motives. According the research project that was published in the journal Pediatrics, children who are punished physically have a higher potential to develop depression, anxiety disorders, and drug or alcohol dependency when they are adults. Some of these now-adults even develop a sort of mania following their childhood of punishments. The research project made sure to draw a distinct line between spanking and other forms of punishment that would be considered physical and sexual abuse. This study wanted to focus on the effects of spanking in particular and other categorically non-abusive punishments. Alcohol dependency was 2 to 5 percent more common in children who had been spanked when they were younger.

Those who were spanked as kids are reported to be 4 to 7 percent more likely to develop psychiatric illnesses as well. The most common illnesses were paranoia, narcissism, emotional dependency, and antisocial behavior. A lot of these illnesses are not dependent on family relationships, but merely on the fact that the children were hit for punishment as they were developing, The LA Times says that even if the parents had no mental illness, children still had a heightened potential to develop these disorders as a result of harsh punishment. This proves that mental illnesses are not necessarily always genetic.

The Canadian researchers who conducted this study concluded that spanking children is not only damaging to the victimized children, but can be a public health threat. This is because more and more children who are spanked are coming out of their childhood with mental disabilities which affect society as a whole. The study encouraged pediatricians to tell parents that spanking should not be used on children of any age. These doctors are encouraged to show parents other was to correct their child’s behaviors. They can work to reward good behavior or use other methods such as taking away privileges when their children are not receptive to their instruction.

Among all of the psychological illnesses that can be developed as a result of harsh physical punishment, mania was the most common. Those who received spankings as a child have 5.2 percent more likelihood of contracting mania as an adult. Also, these children are 3.4 percent more likely to become alcohol dependent, and 3 percent more likely to be drug dependent. Disciplined children are 7.2 percent more likely to develop schizotypal personality disorders as they age. These disorders often cause the victim to think in odd or paranoid ways. Researchers say that people who develop these conditions commonly lose their jobs and are lacking in relationships.

Spanked children are 5.5 percent more likely to get an antisocial personality disorder and 4.7 more likely to have an egotistic personality. All of these personality disorders cause children to have a difficulty socializing, which can lead to isolation that is unhealthy when a child is developing or even into adulthood. Some kids develop a neediness to others after being spanked, and others will become prone to mood swings. The dangerous mental effects of spanking have caused the amount of parental punishment to go down. A recent poll said that only 6 percent of children were physically punished. An earlier study showed that 48 percent of all children were spanked or slapped for correction. While physical punishment is not a crime, it is heavily discouraged by the American Academy of Pediatricians. If you hit your children violently and make them bruise, then you may end up in a domestic abuse, so you need to be prudent with your punishment. Talk to a family lawyer today if you are involved in a domestic abuse case and need representation.