Study links spankings to aggressive behavior

September 15, 2009 A new study finds children who are spanked as 1-year-olds are more likely to behave aggressively and perform worse on cognitive tests as toddlers than children who are spared the punishment.

Researchers say the negative effects of spanking were "modest" but this study in the journal Child Development adds to a growing body of literature that finds spanking isn't good for children.

Researchers added that by age 3 these children also performed worse on measures of thinking abilities. They say spanking may create a model for using aggression while at the same time not allowing children to practice using reasoning skills.