The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), which represents 64,000 pediatricians, released an updated policy statement that “corporal punishment and harsh verbal abuse may cause a child to be fearful in the short term but does not improve behavior over the long term.” Dr. Cathy Taylor supports this policy and adds, “The goal of discipline is to teach, guide, educate, and reinforce good behavior.” Even further, Dr. Taylor conducted a recent study that found that even indirect exposure to violence during childhood can play a key role in the child developing anti-social and aggressive behavior. Positive parenting strategies can be found on the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) website.