Corporal punishment of children, such as spanking, is common around the world, says Meghan Jacobs, MD, a pediatric resident physician at Upstate who has analyzed research on the topic. Studies show negative lifelong effects from corporal punishment, including aggression, anxiety, delinquency and a poor parent-child relationship, said Jacobs, who advocates nonviolent alternatives that focus on solutions rather than punishment and are mindful of a child‘s developmental level.