A new study has found that parents who want to discipline their child must talk to them with positivity.
The researchers at the Michigan State University found that 23 per cent of youngsters received some type of "negative touch" when they did not comply with parents wishes in public places.
'Negative touch' included arm pulling, pinching, slapping and spanking while 'positive touch' included hugging, tickling and patting.
"If your child is upset and not minding you and you want to discipline them, I would use a positive, gentle touch," psychologist Kathy Stansbury said, adding "Our data found that negative touch didn't work."
Researchers anonymously observed 106 discipline interactions between caregivers and children ages 3-5 in public places and recorded the results.
Stansbury said another surprising finding was that male caregivers touched the children more during discipline settings than female caregivers
