Spanking children as a discipline method is still legal in all 50 US states, but the research against it keeps piling up. A 2016 meta-analysis in the Journal of Family Psychology linked spanking to increased aggression and mental health problems later in life. I've seen parents defend it as quick and effective, yet the long-term costs seem to outweigh any short-term compliance. Are we really okay with hitting kids when we wouldn't accept that behavior from an adult partner or colleague?