Do childhood smacks affect you now?

Researchers found that the violence experienced when smacked or spanked as children can result in adults feeling depressed, attempting suicide, drinking at moderate-to-heavy levels or using illegal drugs.

“Placing spanking in a similar category to physical/emotional abuse experiences would increase our understanding of these adult mental health problems,” says one of the researchers, Andrew Grogan-Kaylor, an associate professor of social work at University of Michigan.

Over 8 000 people studied

The study was based on 8 300 people, ranging in age from 19 to 97 years old.

They were asked about how often they were spanked in their first 18 years, and if an adult inflicted physical abuse (push, grab, slap or shove) or emotional abuse (insults or curses) on them as children.

Nearly 55% reported being smacked. Men were more likely to experience childhood smacking than women.

Those reporting exposure to smacking had increased odds of depression and other mental health problems.

Do you think that getting smacked as a child has negatively affected you as an adult?

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