Spanking a child affects brain development
Recent research on human brain development has shown that spanking and other corporal punishment will have a significant adverse effect on a child’s brain development and brain function. Anytime a child experiences fear and stress, especially when combined with great emotional turmoil or emotional separation from a parent or other caregiver, that child becomes biologically and neurochemically alarmed and is on high alert.
The human brain consists of four distinct layers, the brainstem, the midbrain, the limbic system, and the cortex. The brain stem is responsible for the most primitive functions of the body, such as breathing, regulation of body temperature and blood pressure. The midbrain, also called the diencephalon, is a bit more complex, but still mostly reflexive, and is where a person operates when in a state of alarm. This is the instinctive “fight or flight” area of the brain and is a place without thoughts or feelings. The limbic system is the area in charge of experiencing and expressing emotions. The cortex, especially the prefrontal cortex, is responsible for thinking, problem solving, judgment, and awareness.
Two other key parts of the brain are the hippocampus, which stores memories, and the amygdala, which is part of the limbic system and determines which part of the brain is activated in any given situation. The hippocampus and amygdala work together to determine which parts of the brain are in charge. At any given time, one of the three higher levels (midbrain, limbic system, or cortex) is in command based on decisions from the amygdala and hippocampus.
The brain produces powerful chemicals called hormones. Normal development causes the brain to release healthy doses of hormones to help a child build resilience. However, in moments of fear, stress hormones can flood the brain, causing anxiety and panic in the child, which means that she is less able to think. During an unhealthy “rush of hormones,” a child will become hypersensitive and overly reactive until the hormones wear off, which can take an hour or up to a day. Because a child’s brain is constantly wired, high alarm states can “overwire” a child’s midbrain, making it denser and more dominant than it should be.
During these fearful episodes, the hippocampus stores memories in order to protect and prepare the child for future occurrences. For the rest of the child’s life, memories stored in the hippocampus can trigger the same responses that activate the reflective midbrain.
Whenever a child is extremely afraid or alarmed that a parent or other caregiver is inflicting physical pain (such as spanking) combined with unhealthy, out-of-control emotion, their brain development is negatively affected. A child with a brain that has developed in a healthy way can function relatively well, allowing them to think calmly, connect emotionally, pay attention, and grow intellectually.
Withholding discipline is not the answer. Finding healthy forms of effective discipline (limit setting, healthy consequences, making amends, etc.) will help build a child’s brain in a healthy way.