CORPORAL PUNISHMENT OF ADOLESCENTS BY PARENTS - A RISK FACTOR IN THE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF DEPRESSION, SUICIDE, ALCOHOL-ABUSE CHILD-ABUSE, AND WIFE BEATING

Over 90% of parents of toddlers spank or use other forms of corporal p unishment. Although the rate declines each year from about age five, t his study of a large national sample of U.S. adults found that almost half recalled having been corporally punished during their teen years. This high prevalence indicates a need to investigate the possibility that corporal punishment puts adolescents at increased risk of develop ing mental health and social relationship problems later in life. The analysis, which controlled for a number of possible confounding risk f actors such as low socioeconomic status, found that children who exper ienced corporal punishment in adolescence had an increased risk later in life of depressive symptoms, suicidal thoughts, alcohol abuse, phys ical abuse of children, and wife beating. The consistent association o f corporal punishment with major adult problem behavior, together with the fact that at least half of all adolescents are victims of corpora l punishment by their parents, indicates a need to replicate the study using longitudinal data. If the findings are confirmed, it suggests t hat a major step in primary prevention of violence and mental health p roblems can be achieved by a national effort to reduce or eliminate al l use of corporal punishment.