Negative Effects of Child Spanking

Kelly Clarkson once revealed to a radio station in Rochester, that she spanks her children and find nothing wrong with it, and her reasons are appear valid. When is comes to spanking, many parents shy away from it as an effective corrective measure, and those who use it, would never admit to it publicly. Kelly Clarkson, however, is a different breed, and not only does she spank her children, she acknowledged it openly during an interview in 2018 with a radio station in Rochester.

Clarkson who shares daughter, River Rose, and son, Remington Alexander, with her husband, Brandon Blackstock, said she spanks her older child when she is does something wrong and reuses to be reasoned with. The singer explained that she is not above it, but she does not hit her little girl hard. It’s more of a gentle tap to send the message that an act or conduct is wrong. Clarkson acknowledged that many people are not advocates of spanking and when she use in public on her then 3-year-old daughter, she gets judgmental looks from strangers.

Despite the looks, the “Love so Soft” singer is not apologetic, and she told the radio station that growing up in Texas, her mother spanked her, and gave her principal the permission to do the same if the singer misbehaved at school. The mum-of-two who is aware of the negatives associated with the disciplinary act said she turned out alright, and would not apologize for raising her children that way. Clarkson’s acceptance of spanking did not stop those who disagreed from criticizing her. Some called it detrimental to a child’s welfare, while others saw it as an act that’s inherently wrong.

Others opined that it brings about physical fear and breeds aggression, and according to the American Pediatrics Society, spanking brings about poor behavior and affects a child’s development. Elizabeth Gershoff, a professor of human development and family sciences at the University of Texas, believes that the disciplinary act do not improve a child’s life but births negativity.

The professor added that it creates mental health problems  and leads to aggressive behaviors like biting, kicking, and hitting; it is more common in common in children that experience spanning from the age of three. There is no study that shows that spanking has any positive effect, but many individuals like Clarkson experienced it and didn’t exhibit any negatives, and chances are her children won’t too.