Understanding Caregivers' Attitudes Towards Physical Punishment of Children: Evidence From 34 Low- and Middle-Income Countries

• NCJ Number: 237199
• Journal: Child Abuse & Neglect Volume: 35 Issue: 12 Dated: December 2011 Pages: 1009-1021
• Author(s): Claudia Cappa; Shane M. Khan
• Date Published: December 2011
• Length: 13 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined the attitudes of caregivers in low- and middle-income countries regarding the physical punishment of children.

Abstract

Findings from the study indicate that in most countries, most of the mothers/primary caregivers did not believe in using physical punishment on children. The caregivers' attitudes were found to be significantly affected by demographic characteristics such as household wealth and size, educational level and age of the caregiver, and place of residence of the family. The analysis of actual behavior of caregivers, however, found that a large proportion of the children were subject to physical punishment even if their mother/caregiver thought the punishment was not needed. The discrepancy between the caregivers' attitudes and behaviors was found in all countries studied and across all education and income levels of the mothers/caregivers. This study examined the attitudes of mothers/caregivers in low- and middle-income countries regarding the physical punishment of children. Data for the study were obtained household surveys conducted in 34 countries in 2005 and 2006. Mothers/primary caregivers (n=166,635) of children aged 2-14 were asked questions dealing with child discipline, including the use of violent and non-violent disciplinary practices and whether they believed that physical punishment was necessary in order to properly raise a child. The findings show that the attitudes of mothers/primary caregivers regarding the use of physical punishment of children are directly affected by their socio-economic background and that these attitudes are not always reflected in the mothers/primary caregivers' behavior. It is expected that these findings will provide insights for the development of effective strategies to promote positive parenting practices. Implications for future research are discussed. Tables, figures, and references