In a recent study, researchers determined that even in the absence of severe conditions, children raised in environments where harsh punishments were levied were likely suffering for it in their adult years.
A recent study assessed the risk of harsh physical punishment during childhood leading to health problems later in life.
The team reviewed the results of about 34 thousand participants from a government health study in 2004 and 2005.
For their research, they defined harsh as grabbing, pushing, slapping, and hitting. They differentiated it from severe treatments such as physical and emotional abuse, sexual abuse, and physical and emotional neglect.
They determined that even in the absence of severe conditions, children raised in environments where harsh punishments were levied showed an association with some health conditions in their adult years.
Conditions including heart disease, arthritis, and obesity occurred with greater regularity among the group who stated corporal punishment was used in their homes.
The lead researcher acknowledged the study doesn’t constitute proof, but it does strengthen the existing findings that getting physical with children can have long-term repercussions.
It’s also noteworthy that the study’s results were adjusted to accommodate for the factors of family history of dysfunction, social and economic variables, and mental illness.
