According to a report by the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, spanking your child can lead to a slew of mental health issues later in life.

According to the report, aggressive and violent behavior towards a child (like spanking, slapping, or aggressive shoving) can lead to “mood disorders, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, agoraphobia (avoiding situations that you’re afraid might cause you to panic), alcohol and drug abuse and dependence, social phobias, severe personality disorders, and even depression.”

As NewsOne points out, studies have shown that Black parents are more likely to use corporal punishment to discipline children.

From NewsOne:

“A 2011 University of Texas study concluded that a whopping 89 percent of Blacks spank their children.  As far as the reasons why Blacks tend to discipline their children more harshly, according to clinical researchers, the legacy of slavery is likely one major cause or it may just be that Blacks are more intolerant of disobedient children.

Still, Texas researchers contend that Black communities in which people have a disproportionately lower income and are less educated are more likely to physically punish their children.

The current Journal study also found that reports of harsh physical punishment were more common in African-American homes than in Caucasian, Asian-American, or Pacific-Islander households.”

Read more at NewsOne.com

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