Study links smacking children to lower academic performance and riskier teenage behavior
A new University College London (UCL) study has found that smacking children as a form of punishment may be associated with poorer academic performance and increased risky behavior during adolescence.
Researchers analysed data from approximately 19,000 children born in the United Kingdom between 2000 and 2002, tracking their development at ages three, five, and seven.
The study concluded that physical punishment “does no good whatsoever,” with all observed outcomes indicating potential harm to children’s development.
Among the key findings, children who were smacked were more likely to fail to achieve five GCSE passes at grades A*–C, including English and Maths, with a 5.7 percentage point increase in failure risk.
The research also found that 14-year-olds who had experienced physical punishment in early childhood were 33% more likely to engage in risky behaviors, including bullying, BBC reports.
Lead researcher Associate Professor Anja Heilmann said the findings suggest that smacking does not improve behavior and may instead contribute to negative developmental outcomes.
However, the study is observational in nature and does not establish direct causation, as other social and environmental factors may have influenced the results.
Some academics have urged caution in interpreting the findings, noting that child development is shaped by multiple influences rather than a single factor.
The Department for Education in England stated that there are currently no plans to change the law on smacking, while reiterating that child safety remains a priority.
The issue remains politically divisive in the United Kingdom, where Scotland and Wales have banned physical punishment of children, while it remains legal in England and Northern Ireland amid ongoing debate over possible legal reform.
