To spank or not to spank : The effect of situation and age of child on support for corporal punishment

This study examined college students' attitudes toward spanking as a function ofthe situational context and age of the child. As expected, respondents were more likely to find spanking appropriate for preschool (ages 3-4) and early school age children (ages 7-8) than for older children (ages 11-12). Physical punishment was also viewed as more suitable when the child's misbehavior was disrespectful (talking back to a parent), or violated strongly held norms (hitting a playmate, stealing), and less appropriate for age-related or less serious misbehavior.