London, Apr 19 (ANI): Slapping a child to discipline is acceptable provided it is accompanied by love and affection, a new study has revealed.
Tough love works if the youngster believes the sanction is coming from "a good place".
Researchers suggest a scolding or slap can be moderated by the child's feelings of being loved by their mother, the Daily Express reported.
The findings will ignite parental debate over the best way of bringing up children.
The use of physical discipline on youngsters is controversial with some studies suggesting that it carries a greater risk of a child growing up to be aggressive or even falling into delinquency.
But the US study of a group of 189 Mexican-American adolescents and their parents found that having a mother - or the "perception of maternal warmth" - protects against encouraging antisocial behaviour.
Even where the child's perception of maternal warmth was lower, parental love still resulted in a positive relationship with the youngster, the research said.
Dr Miguelina German, of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, said warm, responsive parenting is the critical factor when it comes to producing happy, secure children.
Where harsh disciplinary practices are a cultural norm, there are always other influences at play that can lessen their potential harm on the young child.
The belief that their parents love them protects children against feelings of rejection, even when being harshly disciplined.
Dr German said the use of harsh parental discipline such as slapping does not automatically result in antisocial behaviour in the child.
Research has found children are more likely to grow into well-adjusted adults if their parents are firm disciplinarians.
The study is published in the US journal Parenting: Science And Practice. (ANI)
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