Corporal punishment in children is linked to behavioral and health problems, bad academic performance and reduced social and emotional development, found an analysis published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour.

The researchers analyzed 195 studies on corporal punishment published between 2002 and 2024, involving 92 low and medium -income countries.

A similar study had been preceded by high -income countries with similar results.

They explored 19 results related to parent -child relationships, physical and mental health, violent behavior, attitude towards violence, substance use, cognitive function, social and emotional skills, sleep, motor skills and the possibility of involvement in child labor.

They found that corporal punishment was significantly associated with negative consequences, in 16 of the 19 results.

Specifically: With worst parent -child relationships, victimization of violence, violence, approval of violence, physical health problems, mental health problems, substance use, poor academic performance, reduced linguistic skills, reduced executive, general and social problems

On the contrary, they found no effect on cognitive skills, motor skills and the possibility of child labor.

However, it is noteworthy that the study has found no positive effect on corporal punishment.

In 2006, the Secretary -General of the United Nations had called for a ban on corporal punishment for children. To date, 65 countries worldwide, mostly high -income, have established complete or some bans of this practice.