Everyday Parenting: The ABCs of Child Rearing - 13 | The Science Behind Spanking and Why it Doesn't Work – with Dr. Alan Kazdin

This lesson explores the use of physical punishment highlighting research on its limited effectiveness and significant negative effects. Dr. Kazdin explains why spanking, hitting, and paddling often fails to change behavior long-term and can increase aggression, noncompliance, and emotional distress in children. He reviews legal and cultural aspects of corporal punishment, including its continued use in some schools, and shares evidence-based alternatives that focus on positive reinforcement and mild, brief consequences. The goal is to equip parents and caregivers with more effective tools for nurturing lasting, positive behavior change. 🎯 Learning Objectives • Understand the research on the limited effectiveness and negative consequences of physical punishment • Recognize why spanking may increase aggression and noncompliance rather than reduce it • Learn about cultural, legal, and social factors influencing the use of corporal punishment • Explore effective alternatives emphasizing positive reinforcement and mild, brief consequences 📚 About the Course Everyday Parenting gives you access to a toolkit of behavior-change techniques that will make your typical day in the home easier as you develop the behaviors you would like to see in your child. The lessons provide step-by-step instructions and demonstrations to improve your course of action with both children and adolescents. Among many techniques, you will learn how even simple modifications to tone of voice and phrasing can lead to more compliance. The course will also shed light on many parenting misconceptions and ineffective strategies that are routinely used. The key to the course is practice. It is not enough to know the strategies; you have to do them to reap the rewards. Using the techniques on a temporary basis will lead to permanent change. Chances are your parenting is perfectly fine and working the way you would like. But if you have any frustrations with your child or would like improve your effectiveness in changing your child’s behavior, these videos will be a very useful guide. 📺 Watch the full playlist on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLh9mgdi4rNeyEGNxBvNdOVlianDYgWuc9&si=WvX4JltzYzj7faKi 🎓 Enroll on Coursera for assessments and a certificate: https://www.coursera.org/learn/everyday-parenting 🌐 Explore more learning opportunities on Yale Online: https://online.yale.edu/courses/everyday-parenting-abcs-child-rearing