The American Academy of Pediatrics upgraded their long standing policy discouraging spanking, harshly condemning the practice of corporal punishment as not only ineffective, but also as exacerbating aggressive behavior and potentially causing mental illness. Although psychologists and scientists have continually condemned the practice as an unproductive shortcut obstructing actual parenting, corporal punishment has remained widely accepted and used in private.

The AAP is correct though. Parents who care about their children, specifically conservative parents who want to raise self-sufficient and individually ambitious children, should never spank their children. At best, it’s lazy and ineffective. At worst, it’s actively destroying your child’s mental health