Physical
punishment is associated with a range of mental health problems in children, youth and adults, including depression, unhappiness, anxiety, feelings of hopelessness, use of drugs and alcohol, and general psychological maladjustment.26 — 29 These relationships may be mediated
by disruptions in parent — child attachment resulting from pain inflicted
by a caregiver, 30,31
by increased levels of cortisol32 or
by chemical disruption of the brain's mechanism for regulating stress.33 Researchers are also finding that physical
punishment is linked to slower cognitive development and adversely affects academic achievement.34 These findings come from large longitudinal studies that control for a wide range of potential confounders.35
Intriguing results are now emerging from neuroimaging studies, which suggest that physical
punishment may reduce the volume of the brain's grey matter in areas associated with performance on the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, third edition (WAIS - III).36 In addition, physical
punishment can cause alterations in the dopaminergic regions associated with vulnerability to the abuse of drugs and alcohol.37