How hard parenting can affect your child: Getting angry, hitting, or yelling at children can reduce their neural regions associated with anxiety and depression, the study warns.
- The scientists analyzed parenting practices and did brain scans of children ages 2 to 9 years old
- Subjects in a “hard aging” had smaller amygdala and prefrontal cortex
- These brain structures play a key role in emotional regulation and anxiety
- Researchers hope the findings encourage parents to apply less harsh measures when interacting with their children
A new study has warned that repeatedly getting angry, hitting, shaking or yelling at your child could affect their brain structures in adolescence.
The researchers found that children raised with “hard parenting” developed smaller prefrontal cortex and amygdala, two brain structures that play a key role in emotional regulation and the onset of anxiety and depression.
Worryingly, these harsh parenting practices are common and are generally considered socially acceptable around the world, according to the team.
Researchers hope the findings encourage parents to apply less harsh measures when interacting with their children.
A new study has warned that getting angry, hitting, shaking or yelling at your child repeatedly could affect their brain structures in adolescence.
In the study, researchers at the University of Montreal and Stanford University sought to study the effects of hard parenting on children’s brains.
Sabrina Suffren, who led the study, said: “The implications go beyond changes in the brain.
‘I think the important thing is for parents and society to understand that frequent use of harsh parenting practices can harm a child’s development.
“We’re talking about their social and emotional development, as well as their brain development.”
The team used data from children who had been monitored at CHU Saint-Justine Hospital since they were born there in the early 2000s.
Parenting practices, child anxiety levels, and brain scans were assessed annually while children were between two and nine years old.
Worryingly, the results revealed that children subjected to higher levels of hard parenting developed smaller prefrontal cortices and amygdala, two brain structures known to play a key role in emotional regulation and the onset of anxiety and depression. .
Dr Suffren explained: “These findings are significant and new.
Worryingly, the results revealed that children subjected to higher levels of hard parenting developed smaller prefrontal cortices and amygdala, two brain structures known to play a key role in emotional regulation and the onset of anxiety and depression. .
“This is the first time that harsh parenting practices that do not outweigh serious abuse are related to a decrease in the size of the brain structure, similar to what we see in victims of serious abuse.”
Researchers hope their findings will encourage parents to implement less severe parenting strategies going forward.
In the UK, it is illegal for a parent or caregiver to beat their child, unless this is a “reasonable punishment”.
The child legal counsel explained that “whether a‘ blow ’is a reasonable punishment will depend on the circumstances of each case, taking into account factors such as the age of the child and the nature of the blow.
“There are strict guidelines that cover the use of reasonable punishments and cannot be relied upon for defense if you use severe physical punishment on your child that amounts to injury, actual bodily harm, grievous bodily harm, or child cruelty.”
However, statistics released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggest that emotional abuse in families is still very common in the UK.
ONS explained: “The Crime Survey in England and Wales (CSEW) estimated that 1 in 11 adults aged 18 to 74 experienced emotional abuse before the age of 16 (3.8 million people); this includes only authors 16 years of age or older.
‘Abuses were most often perpetrated by the child’s parents; about 5 out of 10 were abused by their mother, about 4 out of 10 were abused by their father.