新奇事件簿 暂时隔离法不会伤害孩子身心健康（在线收听）

There is good news for parents who are in two minds about the merits of using time-outs as a form of punishment. Research from the University of Michigan in the USA says there is evidence to show time-outs can be an effective discipline strategy for children aged between two and eight years. Researchers say parents do not need to fret about their parenting skills if they give time-outs to misbehaving children as they do not harm children's mental wellbeing or their relationship with their parents. In an eight-year study, researchers compared the emotional health and behavior in children whose parents used time-outs with those who didn't. They found there was no difference in the children.

对于那些犹豫要不要将暂时隔离法作为一种处罚形式的父母来说，有一个好消息。美国密歇根大学的研究称有证据表明对两到八岁儿童而言暂时隔离法可以是一种有效的管教策略。研究人员表示如果家长们使用暂时隔离法管教行为不端的孩子，他们也不必担心，因为这种方法不会伤害孩子的心理健康，也不会破坏他们与父母的关系。在一项8年的研究中，研究人员对实施了暂时隔离法和没有实施暂时隔离法的孩子，他们的心理健康和行为表现进行比较。他们发现这些孩子间没有任何差异。

Time-outs are a form of discipline used by parents to modify their children's behavior. It usually involves sending children to a quiet space or quiet corner. The aim is for children to reflect on their behavior. Scientists have disagreed about the effectiveness of this strategy. Dr Rachel Knight said: "Some reports in the media and by select organizations have suggested that time-out is ineffective and even harmful." She added: "There are some alarming claims that time-outs can damage the parent-child relationship and negatively affect emotional health, but the research simply doesn't support those claims." Dr Knight concluded: "We did not find a relationship between time-outs and negative side effects in children."

父母们使用暂时隔离法作为一种处罚形式以纠正孩子们的行为。这种方法通常是把孩子放到一个安静的空间或角落。其目的是为了让孩子反思自己的行为。科学家们对这一策略的有效性意见不一。雷切尔·奈特博士表示：“媒体和某些组织的一些报道称暂时隔离法是无效的，甚至是有害的。”她补充道：“有一些令人担忧的说法称暂时隔离法会破坏亲子关系对情绪健康有负面影响，但是研究根本不支持这些说法。”奈特博士总结道：“我们没有发现暂时隔离法和儿童负面影响之间有关系。”