A 1995 US survey of parents claimed that 65% had spanked their child. Half the parents agreed with the statement that it is sometimes necessary to discipline a child with 'a good hard spanking'.
2. When parents use corporal punishment to reduce anti-social behaviour in children, the long-term effect tends to be the opposite. Physical discipline produces low self-esteem and depression. Children who are spanked regularly are more likely to cheat or lie, to be disobedient at school and to bully others, and to have less remorse for what they do wrong.
2. The verbal abuse that usually accompanies spanking does the child more harm than the physical contact.