A group of American and Canadian scientists reached this conclusion through tests on 63 children aged 5 to 6. One school used corporal punishment on misbehaving students, while another used non-punitive measures to manage students. All children lived in similar areas and came from similar backgrounds.
The researchers assessed the children's behavioral abilities by having them complete a series of tasks. The results showed that students who had been subjected to corporal punishment exhibited significantly poorer behavioral abilities compared to those who had not been punished. This suggests that harsh corporal punishment may impair children's expressive and behavioral abilities, leading to negative effects on their emotional intelligence when growing up in such an environment.
The researchers noted that corporal punishment may elicit immediate compliance from children, but it does not help them understand rules and standards clearly. As a result, the children's self-control may decrease as they get older. Corporal punishment does not teach children appropriate behavior and does not contribute to their learning improvement.
