Harsh parenting practices such as repeatedly getting angry, hitting, or yelling at children have long-term repercussions on their brain development, says a study published in Development & Psychology (May). The study, conducted by Université de Montréal and CHU Sainte Justine Research Centre in partnership with researchers of Stanford University, found that the brain size of adolescents repeatedly subjected to harsh parenting — even though the children did not experience serious acts of abuse — had decreased.

“These findings are new and significant. It’s the first time that harsh parenting falling short of serious abuse has been linked to decreased brain structure and size. This is common in victims of serious acts of abuse. Therefore it is important for parents and society to understand that the frequent use of harsh parenting practices can harm a child’s brain development,” says Dr. Sabrina Suffren, Ph D, of the Université de Montréal.

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