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Study: Spanking linked to dating violence

A new study has found a disturbing link between children being spanked and committing violence against dating partners later in life.
Disciplining children (ISTOCKPHOTO) 

A new study has found a disturbing link between children being spanked and committing violence against dating partners later in life.

The research by The Journal of Pediatrics studied 758 Texas high school students. Of those, 19 percent reported committing dating violence, and 69 percent of those had received corporal punishment as a child.

"We found, in fact, that experiencing corporal punishment as a child was related to later perpetration of dating violence against an intimate partner," said Dr. Jeff Temple, a clinical psychologist in Galveston, Texas.

Temple said the connection between corporal punishment and dating violence isn't difficult to see.

"They might see that as an OK way to resolve conflicts in their adolescent relationships or adult relationships," he said.

Temple suggests using "positive" punishment techniques, such as time out, instead of spanking.

This is just the latest report showing spanking leads to bad results later in life. A five-decade study concluded last year found corporal punishment didn't make children behave in the short term and led to worse behavior later in life.

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