Citation

Boutwell BB, Franklin CA, Barnes JC, Beaver KM. Aggressive Behav. 2011; 37(6): 559-568.

Affiliation

Sam Houston State University, College of Criminal Justice, Huntsville, Texas. brian.boutwell@shsu.edu.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, International Society for Research on Aggression, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1002/ab.20409

PMID

21898451

Abstract

A large body of research has linked spanking with a range of adverse outcomes in children, including aggression, psychopathology, and criminal involvement. Despite evidence concerning the association of spanking with antisocial behavior, not all children who are spanked develop antisocial traits. Given the heterogeneous effects of spanking on behavior, it is possible that a third variable may condition the influence of corporal punishment on child development. We test this possibility using data drawn from a nationally representative dataset of twin siblings. Our findings suggest that genetic risk factors condition the effects of spanking on antisocial behavior. Moreover, our results provide evidence that the interaction between genetic risk factors and corporal punishment may be particularly salient for males. Aggr Behav 37:1-10, 2011. © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Language: en