Effective Discipline to Raise Healthy Children

Corporal punishment – or the use of spanking as a disciplinary tool –increases aggression in young children in the long run and is ineffective in teaching a child responsibility and self-control. In fact, new evidence suggests that it may cause harm to the child by affecting normal brain development. Other methods that teach children right from wrong are safer and more effective. This article is from Robert D. Sege, Benjamin S. Siegel, Council on Child Abuse and Neglect and the Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health.