Physical Violence and Psychological Aggression Towards Children: Five-Year Trends in Practices and Attitudes From Two Population Surveys

• NCJ Number: 220883
• Journal: Child Abuse & Neglect: The International Journal Volume: 31 Issue: 9 Dated: September 2007 Pages: 1001-1011
• Author(s): Marie-Eve Clement; Claire Chamberland
• Date Published: September 2007
• Length: 11 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined prevalence rates of child psychological aggression and physical violence from a population survey conducted in 2004, and compared the rates with those rates obtained in the 1999 edition of the survey.

Abstract

Results of the 2004 Quebec survey showed that in most cases, acts of violence towards children were situational or isolated. In fact, specific conducts of psychological aggression and physical violence were most often reported only once or twice in a year. For instance, 31 percent of mothers reported that an adult of the household shouted, yelled, or screamed at the child one or two times; and 20.6 percent reported that an adult swore or cursed at the child once or twice a year. As for physical violence, the most frequent event was also reported once or twice in a year by 22.5 percent of mothers, followed by spanking the child on the bottom with a bare hand reported once or twice by 13.7 percent of mothers. Most of these conducts were probably related to specific context where the child exhibited behavior particularly undesirable to the adult, rather than an ongoing strategy in the parent-child rearing methods. However, results also revealed that 17 percent of children experienced repeated minor physical violence, 6 percent experienced severe physical violence at least once during the year preceding the survey, and 41 percent experienced some combination of psychological and physical violence. According to this study, Quebec mothers can apparently distinguish between the need for parental authority to foster child development, and the use of violence in conflict management. Promoting alternative methods of firm discipline that do not involve violence should be advocated as the optimum child protection and development strategy. Public awareness campaigns must deliver clear and consistent messages that corporal punishment and verbal aggression places children at risk of physical and psychological harm. Parent education programs are also needed to promote positive and constructive strategies for disciplining and socializing children. Tables, references