attention, and thus, in a convoluted manner, come to demand more attention through "bad" behavior; (4) it is ethically untenable for one to hit a child, and expect him or her not to hit others.
Newell (1989) has done studies of the effects of spanking throughout the United Kingdom. He recounts researchers' interviews with Nottingham mothers of 1-year-olds, which reflected both the ineffectiveness of physical punishment, and also how aggression was learned. One such interview supports the modeling reason for not hitting children mentioned above. Several Nottingham mothers were quoted:
"I smack her bum. She just turns round and gives you one back" . . . "Well actually I've smacked her hands--it makes no difference, she just glares at you and does it some more" . . . "I smack his legs (for many things including screaming, stiffening on the potty, genital play, throwing things, destructive behaviour). But even when you smack him sometimes, he doesn't take any notice of you, he just does it again. And if you smack him, he turns round and smacks you back." (p. 34)
Newell (1989) reports on an American study of a sample of 379 5-year-olds and their mothers, reported in Violence in the Family. The study f
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