DistantNews
Support us
Physical punishment of children could lead to worse grades, UK study suggests
🇷🇸 Serbia /Culture & Society

Physical punishment of children could lead to worse grades, UK study suggests

From N1 Serbia · () Serbian

Translated from Serbian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • A UK study suggests physical punishment like hitting children correlates with worse academic performance and riskier teenage behavior.
  • Researchers analyzed data from nearly 19,000 children, finding hitting yielded no benefits and only harmful effects.
  • While the study shows a correlation, it acknowledges other factors could influence outcomes, and some experts advocate for setting boundaries with physical discipline.

Physical punishment, such as hitting children, may lead to poorer school grades and increased risky behavior in adolescence, according to a study from University College London. Researchers examined the impact of physical punishment on approximately 19,000 children born in the UK between 2000 and 2002.

hitting children provides absolutely no benefit

— Anja HeilmannLead researcher from University College London, summarizing the study's findings on physical punishment.

The study found that hitting children "provides absolutely no benefit" and called for England and Northern Ireland to ban the practice, following Scotland and Wales. Lead researcher Anja Heilmann stated that physical punishment "does not help children and all the effects we found were in the direction of a harmful outcome."

Analysis of GCSE exam results for 7,559 students indicated that children subjected to physical punishment were 5.7 percentage points more likely to not achieve five passing grades (A*-C) in subjects including English and mathematics. Furthermore, 14-year-olds who experienced physical punishment in early childhood were 33% more likely to engage in risky behaviors, such as peer violence.

physical punishment does not help children and all the effects we found were in the direction of a harmful outcome.

— Anja HeilmannLead researcher from University College London, explaining the study's conclusions.

Heilmann expressed hope that physical punishment will cease in the UK, ensuring children have the same protection from physical assault as adults. However, the observational nature of the study means a direct causal link cannot be definitively proven, as other life factors could have influenced the children's development during the research period.

I hope that physical punishment will cease in the United Kingdom so that children have the same protection from physical assault as adults have.

— Anja HeilmannLead researcher from University College London, advocating for a ban on physical punishment.

Professor Ellie Lee, an expert in family relationships and parenting, found the UCL study's results "compelling." However, she cautioned against seeking "magic bullet solutions" and emphasized that child development is typically influenced by multiple factors. Lee, part of the campaign group Be Reasonable England, which supports the use of physical punishment, argued that establishing boundaries, sometimes reinforced physically, is necessary for children to understand societal rules and behave morally.

the results of the UCL study appear compelling

— Ellie LeeProfessor of family relationships and parenting at the University of Kent, commenting on the study's findings.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by N1 Serbia in Serbian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog