Researchers say violence by parents is detrimental to the mental health of young people.

Kirsi Peltonen, a researcher at the University of Tampere's Department of Psychology, says there should be no tolerance for the hitting or spanking of children. She says she is shocked by the reports of child abuse. Two percent of Finnish youth respondents said their parents have used excessive violence against them.

According to the study, the situations in Denmark and Finland are quite similar. Just half of the youth said their own parents have not hit them. Nearly one-third of youth said their parents have verbally attacked them, either by swearing or with threats.

Girls are hit more often than boys at home. Ten percent of the girl respondents said that they had been hit or slapped in the past year.

A total of 5,775 Finnish youth and 3,986 Danish youth aged 15 and 16 participated in the study.