Children Who Are Spanked Have Lower IQs - Science - io9
A psychiatrist who studies violence and trauma has revealed the results of a long-range study of the intelligence of children who were spanked. Murray Straus of the University of New Hampshire says that even a little spanking adversely affects the intelligence of the children years after the event.
This is such a tricky debate I feel. The theory has some merit. Yes, if you were to beat a kid, or animal, or even human, long enough, you develop a submissive pattern in the individual that will negate creative and critical thinking, leading to lower IQs. This would be why I do not spank my children for every little infraction.
It also cannot be denied that in nature, negative reinforcement, such as pain or fear protecting us from harm, exists for a reason. Examples being a child touching a hot stove, broken glass, etc. Spanking is an enforced version of this, the idea being to teach them to not do something. I'm not sure which is right or wrong, but I do feel that no real harm came to me, and I might have even learned a few things.
Of course, I might have been a genius if not for the spankings, maybe I should sue
