There are very few parents who haven’t raised their voice at their child one time or another.
Well, new research shows that shouting at your child could have long-lasting effects on their personality.
The study, carried out over two years at the University of Pittsburg and the University of Michigan, found that “severe verbal discipline may have profound negative impacts on children’s well-being” and can cause increased behavioural issues.
It stated that shouting at a child could have the same negative effects as hitting and could lead to violence or vandalism.
Adrian Kennedy, on 98 FM’s Dublin Talks, spoke with members of the public about the study’s findings.
Mother-of-three, Terry, agreed with the study and believed that shouting at your children is “detrimental to their health” and a form of abuse.
Most parents that Adrian talked with agreed that it was wrong to be aggressive with your children but raising your voice was sometimes necessary to teach them right from wrong.
Father, Jamie, said that a lot depended on the age of the child.
“You’re not going to scream your head at a three-year-old or a four-year-old or a five-year-old,” he said. “If you do that, you’ve lost. You’ve lost control.”
Many people believed that attitudes these days are over-sensitive and are leading to lack of discipline in children.
“They barely pay attention as it is. That’s just the generation that kids are growing up in today, said Shannon, mother-of-two.
One person wrote in sympathising with people who worked in creches. They claimed that their job was hard enough without having to deal with parents forbidding them from raising their voice to the children.
The general consensus seems to be that it’s okay to raise your voice at your children as long as it is controlled discipline. However, many people feel strongly that they should be the only ones disciplining their children.
What are your thoughts? Is shouting abusive? Or are people nowadays just taking things way too seriously?
