iStockphoto.com. Jane Norton.

Children who are spanked tend to be more aggressive, according to a study from the Columbia University School of Social Work.

The study found that nine-year-olds who were spanked at least twice a week by their mother at age three or five are more likely to break rules and behave in a more hostile way than children who were not spanked.

“We found there were impacts not just on the behavioral development that folks normally look at, but also on markers of cognitive development, like the verbal capacity of the child,” co-author and Associate Social Work Professor Michael MacKenzie said in this article on South Carolina’s WIST.com.

“These effects are long-lasting,” MacKenzie continued. “They aren’t just short-term problems that wash out over time. And the effects were stronger for those who were spanked more than twice a week.”

Social workers help children and families overcome life’s hurdles. To learn more visit the National Association of Social Workers’ “Help Starts Here” consumer website Kids and Families section.