Murray A. Straus, Emily M. Douglas, and Rose Anne Mederios: Primordial Violence: Spanking Children, Psychological Development, Violence and Crime

More than any other scholar, Murray Straus has spurred research and social policy debate regarding issues relating to family violence. His new book, The Primordial Violence: Spanking Children, Psychological Development, Violence, and Crime written with co-authors Emily Douglas and Rose Medeiros, focuses upon the topic for which is he most well-known: the negative consequences of spanking. While Straus (1994) has previously taken the position that all spanking is abuse, the authors of this book state that their focus is on socially acceptable and legal corporal punishment. They argue that spanking is the primordial violence because it is the child’s first experience with violence and it serves as an important base for the development of all other types of violence. They are aware that their position regarding the universally destructive consequences of spanking is at variance with popular opinion and with the views of some behavioral scientists. This book is an attempt to provide compelling evidence in support of their stance. Their review of high quality research makes significant progress toward demonstrating that spanking is a risk factor for aggression and other problem outcomes. Indeed, although it is not without certain limitations, this book represents a valuable resource for anyone interested in perusing much of the recent scholarly literature regarding a number of topics and issues relating to spanking. …