Nearly 20% of millennial, Gen Z parents spank their kids; ministry urges caution

June 8, 2026

A study published in the Canadian Journal of Public Health that explored beliefs about whether spanking a child is ever necessary found that around 20% of millennial and Gen Z parents report that they spank their children.

The Christian Post reports that 18.7% of Gen Z parents and 22.1% of millennial parents admitted to spanking their children, while Gen X parents were reportedly more likely to report spanking their children than the other two generations, at 45%.

When researchers asked over 3,700 adults about their beliefs on spanking, fifteen percent of respondents said they believed “it is necessary to use spanking to properly raise a child.”

The study found that Millennials and Gen X respondents were more likely to have experienced spanking during childhood than Gen Z respondents.

According to the Christian Post, researchers also noted that “having a history of being spanked as a child was associated with increasing odds of spanking one’s own child.”

Researchers also reported that “the prevalence of spanking history among Canadian adults is high,” with 55.6% of Canadian adults reporting that they had been spanked three or more times as children.

Among those who were spanked, 22.6% “reported it leaving a mark or a bruise or causing lasting physical pain.”

Dr. Danny Huerta from Focus on the Family, told the Christian Post, “If a parent is disciplining out of anger and pure emotion, spanking is never the right option,” noting that spanking “should be used as a last resort in the parenting toolbox.”

Huerta added that there are many other options in the “parenting toolbox,” including verbal reminders, timeouts, redirection and firm correction.

Photo: top, Credit: iStock/aldomurillo