media shmiteracy, redux

The ABCNEWS headline:

Speaking of Spanking
Spanking May Lead to Behavioral Problems Later

The bold claim:

...researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have discovered that children who are spanked before the age of 2 are more likely to have behavioral problems years later when they enter grade school.

But might there be mitigating factors? Let's read on:

The white mothers who spanked their toddlers also had lower annual incomes, less education and were more likely to suffer from depression.

Which leads up to the grand conclusion, buried at the end (and on the second page, nonetheless):

"Parents need to understand nothing in this study indicates spanking is bad for their child, or that spanking per se is a causal factor for behavioral problems later," advises Slade.

But that won't make a catchy headline, will it?