Spanking does not make children more disciplined. It makes them more anxious and more aggressive over time, according to a 15-year international study that followed Filipino families, presented by Ateneo de Manila University psychologist Dr. Liane Peña Alampay.
Speaking in an Ateneo Breakthroughs Lecture, Alampay, the Philippine site lead of the Parenting Across Cultures (PAC) project, said the research found no setting in which physical punishment helped children. "In no instance does corporal punishment have positive effects," she said.
At a glance
- Study: Parenting Across Cultures (PAC), described as the largest multicultural, long-term study of its kind
- Who: about 4,500 families in nine countries: China, Colombia, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, the Philippines, Sweden, Thailand and the United States
- How long: 15 years, following children from age 7 to 14
- Key finding: more frequent spanking predicted more anxiety and aggression in children; cultural acceptance softened, but did not reverse, the harm
"Discipline is not the same as pain"
Alampay said many Filipino homes treat corporal punishment as the same thing as discipline. "We need to discipline our children, but in ways that are not harsh or inflicting pain," she said.
Across all nine countries, rejection, neglect and hostility toward a child were linked to emotional and behavior problems that lasted from age 7 to 14. Children who felt valued and accepted were protected against aggression, depression and anxiety. Filipino parents in the study reported some of the strongest authoritarian attitudes, which stress strictness and obedience. Alampay contrasted this with authoritative parenting, which keeps clear rules but adds warmth, open communication and attention to the child's point of view.
The study also found a Filipino strength: children who valued family responsibilities, such as helping at home and supporting siblings, later showed more helpful behavior, which among Filipino participants also protected them from the effects of negative parenting.
A link to school violence
Alampay said preventing violence in schools starts with children's relationships at home and in school. Harsh parenting at home, combined with bullying and exclusion at school, can leave distressed young people open to online groups that encourage violence. "We need to make schools safe spaces, not just safe in terms of cameras and bag searches, but safe with a teacher, safe with classmates," she said.
Help for parents: Masayang Pamilya
Her team developed Masayang Pamilya (MaPa), a Philippine version of the Parenting for Lifelong Health program, which teaches caregivers practical skills through model scripts, guided practice, illustrated stories and stress management. A randomized controlled trial with young children found reduced child maltreatment a year after the program. The team is working with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to expand MaPa through family development sessions for conditional cash transfer beneficiaries.
Alampay said most parents do not choose harsh parenting on purpose. "We are also products of our history and how we were parented; it is all we know," she said, adding that parents who get support are willing to learn new ways.
The full lecture, "Parenting Across Cultures: Universals, Cultural Nuances, and Implications for Filipino Families," is on Ateneo's YouTube channel. Source and photo: Ateneo de Manila University, Office of the Assistant Vice President for Research, Creative Work, and Innovation (OAVP-RCWI), CC BY-NC-ND.