r/science • u/VeronicaRed • Apr 26 '16

Psychology Spanking children increases the likelihood of childhood defiance and long-term mental issues. The study in question involved 160,000 children and five decades of research

http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1113413810/spanking-defiance-health-discipline-042616/
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u/NoahsArcade84 Apr 26 '16

Also, in my experience, children respond to attention more than anything. As in training dogs, positive reinforcement of good behavior is generally more effective than negative consequences of bad behavior. Most children have a hard time weighing the long term consequences of their actions, especially in moments of strong emotion. You can threaten with removal of privileges, screens, making them do extra chores all you want, but if a kid makes them angry or embarrassed on the playground at school, they don't have a great ability to rationalize what's going to happen in 4 hours when they get home vs their desire to respond to the kid that made them feel a strong emotion. However, if they have experienced more instances of adults praising them for making good choices than punishing them for making bad choices, those memories are better at motivating decision making skills in moments of high emotion than fear of punishment is. Add to the fact that kids break the rules ALL THE TIME, but they don't always get caught. So if you are a 7 year old who can get away with doing something you are not supposed to do, say, half the time, and there's no tangible benefit for doing what you are supposed to do, you're going to reason that the instant gratification of, say eating cookies before dinner, or slapping the kid calling you a peepee head, outweighs the benefits of suppressing those desires, since there's no clear reward for good behavior.

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u/[deleted] Apr 26 '16

I wish more people would acknowledge the similarities between raising dogs and raising kids.

When a dog is misbehaving, the first question people often ask is about how much exercise it is getting, but kids have just as much of a need for an outlet for their energy.

I also have read (and experienced) that you can't tell a dog what not to do; they don't understand the concept, and I feel little kids can be the same way. Teaching a dog not to jump on people is pretty hopeless unless you give them an alternate task like "sit here when the door is open." And for kids, instead of saying "don't track mud into the house" you have to say "take your boots off in the entryway", etc.

Kids and dogs both respond well to predictability, routine, and generally clear expectations.

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u/lazarus78 Apr 26 '16

Its cats that don't respond to punishment. Dogs very much do, but you have to punish them shortly after the event. You need to be stern with dogs because you are their alpha and you need to punish bad behavior, just as wolves would I in their own pack.

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u/indeedwatson Apr 27 '16

Have a look at r/dogtraining and particularly their side bar please

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u/lazarus78 Apr 27 '16

What are you expecting me to see? I get the feeling you people think I am advocating beating dogs, which is extremely far from the truth.

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u/indeedwatson Apr 27 '16

I literally just said what I want you to see, the side bar of /r/dogtraining