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March 16th, 2012 
FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda FRIDAY, March 16 (HealthDay News) — Using spanking as a method
of discipline for kids who have a genetic predisposition to aggressive
behavior likely makes them even more aggressive, especially boys, new
research suggests.
“There’s an intricate interplay between nature and nurture,” said study
co-author J.C. Barnes, an assistant professor of criminology at the
University of Texas at Dallas School of Economic, Political and Policy
Sciences. “Most people know that genes matter, but genes and environment
can coalesce, and we see things above and beyond what’s expected.”
While the study found this effect was statistically pronounced in
males, Barnes said that the combination of aggressive genes and being
spanked as a child likely influences girls’ behaviors, too. He said it
might be that the combination of these two factors didn’t reach
statistical significance in girls because boys tend to act out more, and
so present more opportunities to have that behavior seen in a study.
The findings were published recently in the journal Aggressive
Behavior.
The use of spanking as a disciplinary tool has been linked to a number
of adverse outcomes in children and teens, such as aggression and criminal
behavior, according to background information in the study.
Last month, researchers reported in the Canadian Medical Association‘s
journal, CMAJ, that children who had been physically punished had
higher levels of aggression against their parents, siblings, peers and
spouses.
And, it may be that children who are genetically predisposed to
aggression are the ones most likely to be spanked for their behavior, but
the current study by Barnes and his colleagues suggests that spanking in
response will just increase that type of behavior.
Data for the current study came from a nationally representative sample
of children born in 2001. The entire group involved almost 11,000
children.
To assess genetic predisposition, the researchers looked at a group of
about 1,500 twins. They compared the behavior of identical twins to
fraternal twins. Since identical twins share 100 percent of their genetic
makeup, the researchers said that behaviors under genetic influence would
be more common in identical twins than in fraternal twins. Fraternal twins
share about 50 percent of their genetic makeup.
The researchers then looked at the effect of genetic predisposition and
the use of corporal punishment and how those factors influence a child’s
behavior both separately and together.
They found that for both boys and girls having a genetic risk for
aggressive behavior increased the risk of antisocial behavior in children.
The use of corporal punishment also increased the risk of antisocial
behavior in both sexes, according to Barnes.
But, when the two factors were combined — genetic risk and corporal
punishment — only boys seemed to have an even greater likelihood of
antisocial behavior, according to the study.
“I’m not surprised to see that they’re concluding that there’s evidence
proving that genetic factors are involved in the development of aggressive
behaviors. There’s a complex interaction between genetics and
environment,” said Dr. Roya Samuels, an attending physician in the
department of general pediatrics at the Steven and Alexandra Cohen
Children’s Medical Center of New York.
“Many studies have shown detrimental long-term effects from the use of
corporal punishment in children. But, it still occurs with great frequency
in this country,” she said.
As children get older, it becomes especially difficult for parents
who’ve relied on corporal punishment to discipline effectively, she noted.
Instead of physical punishment, Samuels suggests developing a
supportive, nurturing relationship with your child. She said parents
should reinforce positive behaviors, and give structure and a daily
routine in a child’s life. Parents should set consequences for negative
behavior, she said, and in the toddler years, timeouts can be an effective
form of discipline instead of spanking.
More information
Get advice of disciplining children from the Nemours Foundation’s KidsHealth.
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