Awareness on effects of corporal punishment Corporal punishment triggers harmful psychological and physiological responses. Children not only experience pain, sadness, fear, anger, shame and guilt, but feeling threatened also leads to physiological stress and the activation of neural pathways that support dealing with danger. Children who have been physically punished tend to exhibit high hormonal reactivity to stress, overloaded biological systems, including the nervous, cardiovascular and nutritional systems, and changes in brain structure and function. Despite its widespread acceptability, spanking is also linked to atypical brain function like that of more severe abuse, thereby undermining the frequently cited argument that less severe forms of physical punishment are not harmful. A large body of research shows links between corporal punishment and a wide range of negative outcomes, both immediate and long-term: • direct physical harm, sometimes resulting in severe damage, long-term disability or death; • mental ill-health, including behavioural and anxiety disorders, depression, hopelessness, low self-esteem, self-harm and suicide attempts, alcohol and drug dependency, hostility and emotional instability, which continue into adulthood; • impaired cognitive and socio-emotional development, specifically emotion regulation and conflict solving skills; • damage to education, including school dropout and lower academic and occupational success; • poor moral internalization and increased antisocial behaviour; • increased aggression in children; • adult perpetration of violent, antisocial and criminal behaviour; • indirect physical harm due to overloaded biological systems, including developing cancer, alcohol-related problems, migraine, cardiovascular disease, arthritis and obesity that continue into adulthood; • increased acceptance and use of other forms of violence; and • damaged family relationships. There is some evidence of a dose–response relationship, with studies finding that the association with child aggression and lower achievement in mathematics and reading ability became stronger as the frequency of corporal punishment increased #UnlockingPotential #endingviolence #SafeSchools (fb)

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