Many studies have revealed the adverse effects of corporal punishment. Most of us know that it doesn’t work and causes trauma in children, but there is also scientific evidence that points to how it directly impacts the brain functioning. A study in the journal Neuroimage found that children who experienced “harsh” spanking had a reduction in gray matter in the brain’s prefontal cortex, which deals with planning, personality and impulse control, and also experienced a reduction in performance IQ