In this study, we analyze the links between
maternal and paternal spanking
and child behavioral and cognitive development,
taking advantage of a longitudinal
data set that follows a large
and diverse sample of children from
birth through 9 years of age, a wider
time span than has been typically examined
to date. The data set is extremely
rich, allowing us to control for
many possible confounds in family
characteristics and risks with the potential
to affect parenting stress and
family functioning. Unusually for this
topic, we are able to include data on
paternal as well as maternal spanking
in a longitudinal analysis. And we go
beyond most previous studies in examining
cognitive development as well
as aggression.