If Canada bans spanking, should U.S. follow suit?

Should spanking be banned? Our neighbors to the north are considering it after barrage of new studies by certified medical journals.

The Toronto Glove and Mail is reporting that the “Canadian Medical Association Journal” has urged its country to ban the practice of spanking outright by changing legislation to make it illegal.

“I’m not sure the message has got out that regular physical punishment isn’t a good way to get kids to behave properly and can lead to later problems,” CMAJ editor-in-chief John Fletcher said. “It is time for Canada to remove this anachronistic excuse for poor parenting from the statute book.”

Fletcher cited a growing stack of evidence from his colleagues about spanking’s potential harms.

A 2010 study by “Pediatrics” magazine suggested spanking can lead to children acting aggressively. The University of Manitoba and the the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario performed a study which researchers say proves spanked children are more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety, and substance abuse.

But spanking proponents point to one key part of the data in most of the Canadian studies. A researcher from the University of Manitoba said that the sort of physical altercation that tends to led to trouble involves involves “more than just a tap on the bum.”

Those who dismiss researchers’ claims about the harms of spanking say there’s a key difference between a mild swat and prolonged physical abuse.

What do you think? Did you turn out fine or did you have difficulties after being spanked as a child? Do you spank your children today? Why or why not? Do you think the U.S. should or should not consider a similar ban?

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