Mother discipling child with a spanking. [Photo: Getty Images]Children who are punished by spanking are more likely to be abusive towards their partners in later life, claims a new study.Nearly 800 young adults were involved in research which looked at whether being hit as a child resulted in more aggressive tendencies as a grown up.It found that hurting a child led to more aggressive behaviour and that most adults who are violent in their relationships were beaten as a youngster.Smacking a misbehaving child has been common in society for decades, but recent evidence shows that the practice can cause long-term damage. Hitting a child can cause them to become violent with their partners as they enter adulthood.The defence of reasonable punishment is not valid in the case where the punishment 'amounts to wounding, actual bodily harm, grievous bodily harm or child cruelty.'The study, from the University of Texas Medical Branch, asked 19 and 20 year olds how often they had been spanked, slapped or struck.Researchers found that, of the 758, children who had been punished with physical violence were much more likely to become aggressive with a future romantic partner.Data from the study published in the Journal of Pediatrics, found that nearly one in five (19 percent) admitted to violence towards their lovers.Sixty eight percent claimed to have experienced corporal punishment as a child.The study's lead author, Jeff Temple, a psychiatry professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch said that they had to determine what they considered punishment and what they considered abuse.Speaking to CNN , he said: 'We defined (child abuse) as being hit with a belt or board, left with bruises that were noticeable or going to the doctor or hospital. Kids who said they had experienced corporal punishment were more likely to have recently committed dating violence."The study found it was not just children who had been abused with physical violence who turned out to be nasty in later life.Spanking as a form of punishment was enough to increase violent behaviour in adults.

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