Global Study Reveals Physical Punishment Harms Children’s Development Worldwide

A groundbreaking global analysis confirms that spanking and other forms of physical discipline lead to negative outcomes for children in developing nations, mirroring findings from wealthier countries and challenging long-held cultural assumptions about discipline.

The comprehensive meta-analysis, published in Nature Human Behaviour on May 5, 2025, examined 195 studies spanning 92 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), providing the most definitive evidence to date that physical punishment harms children’s development regardless of cultural context.

Universal Harm Across Diverse Settings

The research team, led by NYU Steinhardt’s Assistant Professor Jorge Cuartas, found that physical punishment was associated with negative consequences in 16 of 19 examined outcomes, with no positive effects identified in any area of development.

“Some scholars have suggested that physical punishment might have different effects in countries where it is more prevalent or socially normative, a perspective known as the cultural normativeness hypothesis,” says Cuartas. “However, the lack of data from low- and middle-income countries has made it challenging to fully understand the balance between universal and context-specific harms of physical punishment during childhood.”

What impacts does physical punishment have on children? The analysis revealed significant associations with:

• Worse parent-child relationships
• Increased risk of experiencing and perpetrating violence later in life
• Physical and mental health problems
• Higher substance use
• Poor academic performance and impaired language skills
• Reduced executive function and social-emotional development
• Increased behavioral problems, including both internalizing (depression, withdrawal) and externalizing (aggression) behaviors

Challenging Cultural Norms and Policies

The findings directly contradict the belief that physical punishment might benefit children in cultures where such practices are widespread or considered normal. This research carries particular significance for developing nations, where physical discipline remains common practice – with prevalence rates averaging 63% compared to much lower rates in high-income countries.

Despite a 2006 United Nations call to ban corporal punishment, adoption of such policies has been uneven globally. While 65 countries have instituted full or partial bans, the distribution reveals stark differences: 40% of high-income countries have bans compared to just 8% of low-income nations.

Beyond Cultural Context: The Universal Impact

Could the negative effects of spanking vary by region or cultural acceptance? The researchers examined this question directly, comparing results across geographic regions and contexts where physical punishment is more or less socially accepted.

While the magnitude of negative associations varied slightly across regions, the direction remained consistent – physical punishment was universally associated with negative outcomes regardless of cultural context or legality status. This finding presents a significant challenge to the “cultural normativeness hypothesis” that has sometimes been used to justify physical discipline in certain cultures.

“The consistency and strength of these findings suggest that physical punishment is universally harmful to children and adolescents. Moving forward, more research is needed to identify effective strategies for preventing physical punishment on a global scale and ensuring that children are protected from all forms of violence to support their healthy development,” concludes Cuartas.

Implications for Global Child Protection

This research adds to growing evidence that protecting children from physical punishment should be a universal priority, regardless of cultural or economic context. The findings align with positions taken by both the World Health Organization, which recognizes physical punishment as a specific risk to children’s health, and the United Nations, which views it as a violation of children’s rights.

For policymakers and child welfare advocates in developing nations, this study provides compelling evidence to support ongoing efforts to reduce physical punishment through legislation, education, and parenting support programs – particularly in regions where such practices remain widespread and culturally embedded.

What makes this research particularly powerful is how comprehensively it addresses previous gaps in knowledge about physical discipline across different cultural contexts. By demonstrating consistent harmful effects across diverse settings, it suggests that protecting children from physical punishment is not merely a Western value but a universal need for healthy child development worldwide.