If your adult neighbor had offensive or annoying behavior, would you hit him? You probably wouldn't. What if that neighbor has physical or mental abilities below the average adult? You'd probably be even less likely to hit them then. If you love that neighbor like a family member, hitting him would seem like an even worse way to deal with the situation. Now imagine this is your child, typically a person with below-average adult skills and someone you love as a family member. Would you hit your child? This is the type of decision that many parents struggle to make. The common opinion of most psychologists is that parents should not spank their children. The American Psychological Association (APA) opposes the use of corporal punishment in schools, juvenile institutions, day care centers, and all other institutions, public or private, where children are cared for or educated. This includes the institution of the family. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, spanking can escalate into physical abuse, potentially hurting the child, and can contribute to later emotional and behavioral problems. It is also less effective than alternative disciplinary tactics and is a difficult habit to break, the organization also says. Over the past decade, studies have shown that children who are spanked are more likely than their peers to experience behavioral and emotional problems later in life. The more often they are spanked, the more harmful the consequences tend to be. As early as the 1950s, psychologists began experimenting with the idea that physical force used against a child taught the child to be aggressive. In other words, spanking taught the child to hit others. The more children are spanked, ... middle of paper ... a way out. Corporal punishment signals to the child that one way to resolve interpersonal conflicts is to use physical force and inflict pain. These children may in turn resort to such behavior. They may also fail to develop safe, trusting relationships with adults and fail to develop the skills needed to resolve disputes or exercise authority in less violent ways. Supervising adults who completely humiliate children and punish them with force and pain often causes more harm than it prevents. If corporal punishment doesn't harm children, then why is it banned in many states? Of course, not all studies on corporal punishment have been proven, but there aren't enough to convince people to stop spanking their children. I'm not a parent, but if there was any doubt in my mind that something was wrong for my child, I know I would stop.