A study done by Calvin College, posted in the British Daily Mail, explains that spanking, referred to as "smacking", IS beneficial to a child's well-being:
"Young children who are smacked by their parents grow up to be happier and more successful than those who have never been hit, research claims.
It found that children who are smacked before the age of six perform better at school when they are teenagers.
They are also more likely to do voluntary work and to want to go to university than those who have never been physically disciplined.
But the study also revealed that children who are smacked after the age of six were more likely to exhibit behavioural problems, such as being involved in fights....
Teenagers in the survey who had been smacked only between the ages of two and six performed best on all the positive measures.
Those who had been smacked between seven and 11 fared worse on negative behaviour but were more likely to be academically successful. Teenagers who were still smacked fared worst on all counts."