The number of parents choosing to spank their children as a form of discipline is falling, according to a new study in the journal Pediatrics.
According to data analyzed by researchers at Georgetown University, the percentage of mothers in middle-income families who reported spanking their children dropped 25% over a two decade period.
The study found while parent deciding to spank was on the decline, parents using time-outs and other non physical forms of discipline were on the rise.
Authors of the study say the decline of parents utilizing spanking began in the 1980's and was due in part to research attributing spanking led to negative psychological outcomes.
the percentage of mothers in middle-income families who reported spanking their kids dropped from 46% to 21% over a 23-year period.
