Physical Punishment Affects Your Child’s IQ

When we are born, we respond in much the same way to the stimuli we experience throughout the rest of our lives: pleasure, surprise, anger, despair, shame and the like. As we grow older, all responses to these emotions merge with the experiences that then shape our complex emotional life.

Children’s emotional well-being deteriorates when they are abused. In most cases, corporal punishment and bad words affect their self-esteem. They become depressed and avoid contact with family members and friends. Children can also develop a worry and negative self-perception that affects how they see themselves.

Uncertainty in turn leads to children performing worse in school, not keeping up with the subjects and this creates a serious knowledge gap. It makes the parents angry and the vicious circle of abuse and corporal punishment continues.

Sweden was the first in the world to ban child abuse in 1979. But in many developed countries it is still allowed to use corporal punishment, despite all the research pointing out that it is not only meaningless and non-functioning – the fact is that it only does things worse. In addition, there are much more effective methods.

Physical punishment includes coercion, pain, and discomfort on the child in an attempt to correct their behavior.

It is important to note that the vast majority of parents who beat their children were also abused by their own parents.

Physical punishment not only leads to a temporary pain in the children, but can also develop into a trauma that accompanies them through life. One consequence of this, according to a study conducted by researchers in the United States, is a reduced IQ that impairs performance in everything they do in their adult lives.

Effective alternatives to corporal punishment

There are many different ways for parents to promote their children’s development. One of the most useful is to use words instead of action.

Let’s take a closer look at some ways to do it:

• You can use words instead of action by talking to your child. Address what behaviors are acceptable and not, and what is dangerous and what is not.
• Listen to your child as he or she explains why he or she did something, or stopped doing it. If you let children explain their actions, they will be better at making the right decisions.
• The word “discipline” comes from the Latin “discere” which means to learn. When it comes to children’s behavior, it has a special meaning. Children’s behaviors are closely linked to their emotions. Therefore, discipline is a process that involves them learning about their behavior and the emotions that give rise to it. 

• Improve your children’s self-esteem by rewarding them when they behave well.
• Have rules, and maintain them without aggression or attack.
• Give your child lots of love and tenderness.
• Children identify with their parents, so be a good example. They tend to imitate both actions and words. How parents behave, talk and act has a profound effect on how children develop.

Physical punishment is illegal in Sweden, and for good reason. It has much more than physical consequences. It is therefore incredibly important to encourage methods other than physical violence to control unwanted behavior.