ARTICLE: Children who are spanked have lower IQs

[walkerag]

" me that just says they cannot parent.

I believe it has been proven that most cannot parent anyway for some reason or another from what I've read here on the DIS

 

[3boymthr]

So much BS....DB has an IQ of 168 (yup, he's a certified genius - Mensa member and all that ). My IQ is 135. We both work in highly analytical, technical and mathematical jobs.

Wait! We were spanked! According to some person I've never met I shouldn't be able to think logically! Hmmm.... Do you think I could collect disability as I can no longer perform my job because I was spanked as a child???

Plus that statement doesn't say how much it lowers IQs; 1pt, 2 pts, 10pts, 20 pts?? Does spanking result in a statistically significant lowering of IQ? Somehow I don't think spanking is going to lower an IQ from from Genius to Average or from Average to Retarded and is a small change of probably 1 or 2 pts really going to affect a persons life long term?

To my mind this is the nature as nurture debate rearing it's ugly head.

 

[golfgal]

I think it's BS.

It's a good thing we spanked our DS17 because he already has an IQ of 160 and I would hate for it to be any higher

 

[disykat]

Children who are products of poor parenting have negative outcomes. Many children who were spanked are products of poor parenting. There are parents out there with limited resources who always default to spanking because it is an "easy" form of discipline. Some of these parents may spend limited time with their children.

That said, IMO spanking used sparingly as just one small part of the discipline used is not going to cause those outcomes. I spanked sometimes. However, I also talked to my children, reasoned with them, read to them, required a lot from them, etc.

 

[Narnian_Princess]

There is no way. I was spanked (excessively, too) and I have always thrived in academic situations. I graduated with Latin honors from my last college and plan to also from my current college. The spanking may have hurt me emotionally, but mentally... like I said, no way.

 

[OceanAnnie]

B.S.



There are all kinds of studies to say whatever you want them to say, it all depends on the motivations of the people doing it.

Agreed.

 

[janey99]

Hmmm...I have an MBA, my IQ is 136. I SPANKED MY CHILDREN! My children have IQ's of 150, 128, and 130.

BTW, my BG twins just turned 10.

If your kids are so smart, how come you have to spank them at all?

BTW, kudos for having all those IQs at the tips of your fingers. Is testing mandatory in your family?

Jane

 

[Geoff_M]

What do you think of this article:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20090925/hl_hsn/spankingmaylowerkidsiqs

It makes probably the most common error in "junk science"... it assumes that correlation equals causation.

 

[edandcolleen1995]

Can someone read the article to me? I was spanked as a child and now my IQ is so low, I can't read!

 

[DisneyMom81]

Homer Simpson says that you can do a study to come up with all sorts of facts and figures that can later on be disputed by another study. I had a co-worker who said she would never spank her child and over the weekend I guess she hit the melting point. I was "hit" as a child and I graduated NYU.
I guess what I am trying to say is that you have to decide what's best for your child!

Seriously, Homer Simpson, seriously? Are you kidding me?????



Actually, I agree with Homer. Kind of a weird thing to say, but Homer is right! I can't remember the last time I spanked one of my kids. I know I've done it, and I know they deserved it (has to be something pretty darn bad) but its been quite a long time since its happened.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

while there is an obvious correlation, its not direct. the researchers weren't necessarily studying spanking, they were probably studying parenting styles in the different levels of developing/developed countries. and yes, certain parenting styles do lower iq averages.

This--

However, certain IQ's would be more apt to try different parenting styles where other IQ's might be more inclined to go with learned behavior over the years.

Plus--some people might read this and think "oohhh--if I don't spank my child, they'll have a higher IQ".

Sadly--I was spanked (though that is an understatement) and unless I was born a genious, I don't think my IQ suffered all that much if at all. Again--unless I was born a genious.

I did spank my oldest (long story--didn't want to, but was unable to control my anger). I no longer do. But again--unless she was born a genious--her IQ is much like mine.

Neither her nor I demonstrated any mensa capabilities prior to the spankings.

I believe this study has made a false conclusion and failed to look at other factors that could/would have influenced their IQ's.

Now maybe if the kids were spanked on the head?

 

[DWGal210]

I was spanked by intelligent parents and have a high IQ, college degrees, professional certifications with honors, etc. Statistics can say whatever you want them to say. And 80% of statistics are made up anyway. See, I just did one right there.

(And there is a big difference between a rare spanking and a constant stream of swats for every little thing.)

MTE, I totally agree with your last statement in particular. I was spanked as a child, but I would never say I was hit excessively or abused. And I turned out great. You're absolutely right, Golf4Food - there is a giant difference between a parent hitting a child for every little infraction and giving the child a well-timed swat every now and again.

 

[minkydog]

Another dissenter here. All five of us sibs were spanked. Actualy, we were physically and psychologically abused. And yet, four of us have IQ scores in the gifted catagory. My parents were high school graduates and used to beat the crap out of us. But my sibs and I took refuge in books. We all read voraciously. That's where I got my real education.

 

[OceanAnnie]

It makes probably the most common error in "junk science"... it assumes that correlation equals causation.

I agree. Too many variables to come to that one conclusion.

 

[allison443]

I'm wondering about all these high IQs people are listing for themselves, their kids, their siblings-how do you know these scores?

Where/when were your kids' IQs tested? I don't think my kids' IQs have been tested.

Just wondering if it is common for kids to have IQ tests?

 

[golfgal]

I was spanked by intelligent parents and have a high IQ, college degrees, professional certifications with honors, etc. Statistics can say whatever you want them to say. And 80% of statistics are made up anyway. See, I just did one right there.

(And there is a big difference between a rare spanking and a constant stream of swats for every little thing.)

How about kids that wear low riding blue jeans have lower IQ's, how about kids that wear black tennis shoes have lower IQ's. Wasn't there some connection between using too much hairspray and lower IQ a few years ago?

 

[MushyMushy]

I'm wondering about all these high IQs people are listing for themselves, their kids, their siblings-how do you know these scores?

Where/when were your kids' IQs tested? I don't think my kids' IQs have been tested.

Just wondering if it is common for kids to have IQ tests?

I guess it was just something the schools did. My friends and I were all tested in the 80s. (I was one point away from getting into the gifted program. Not that I think I'm all that gifted intellectually, but I really wanted to get out of class to do the fun things they were doing ).

My kids were both tested. Hmmmm. My IQ is higher than both of theirs and I was spanked often. They have not been spanked.

Gee, might that study be, I dunno, wrong?

 

[Sparx]

to the poster who asked me to explain about parenting styles being correlated to children's iqs:

malnourished children, for one, will always have a lower iq and a harder time remembering things (memories are stored as a protein in the brain, so if the child isn't properly fed, they will not create new memories, or be able to recall older ones with adequate proficiency.

another thing to consider is children who have been heavily abused. yes, that parenting style is (in most cases) not cohesive to a high iq.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

It's a good thing we spanked our DS17 because he already has an IQ of 160 and I would hate for it to be any higher

Well good thing you spanked the smart right out of him!!!

 

[sunnyday123]

So on the flip side, if I NEVER spank my child, she'll be a genius??
Good. Maybe she can figure out how we can go to Disney every other month!!!


Really makes you think about the phrase, "I'm going to beat some sense INTO you!"