Parenting resources with sources · Ages 0–18

Growing together,
one discovery at a time.

eduStackTHE ART & SCIENCE OF GROWING TOGETHER My child
ResearchMeta-analysisEvidence: Large study or reviewAges 0–18

Spanking and child outcomes: Old controversies and new meta-analyses

Author or publisher Gershoff & Grogan-Kaylor, Journal of Family Psychology Published 2016 Reviewed by eduStack editors Last checked 13 Nov 2026
Visit the original source · doi.org ↗

1What the study found

Meta-analyses of 75 studies found spanking was linked to a range of poor outcomes for children and was not linked to better behaviour.

2Sources and check record

https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000191 Gershoff & Grogan-Kaylor, Journal of Family Psychology. Spanking and child outcomes: Old controversies and new meta-analyses. 2016. doi:10.1037/fam0000191 Last checked · 13 Nov 2026

Where this study is used