Parents who spare the rod just might end up with smarter kids.

Two new studies suggest that children who are spanked have lower IQs than children who aren’t, regardless of where they live.

In one study, researchers analyzed the intelligence scores of roughly 1,500 children in the U.S. who took part in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth. They found that these scores were slightly lower among children whose mothers reported using spanking as a form of discipline.

In the other study, national average IQ scores were found to be lower in countries where spanking is common.

So think twice before you lift your hand in anger or otherwise towards your child! Read it here.