Parents' Primary Professional Sources of Parenting Advice Moderate Predictors of Parental Attitudes toward Corporal Punishment

Predicting Black Parents' Attitudes Toward Corporal Punishment: A Moderated-Mediation Model of Frequency and Valence of Childhood Experiences

Child corporal punishment (CP) may lead to child physical abuse, which is a public health concern in the United States. The present study examined major risk factors predicting attitudes toward CP among a sample of Black parents (N = 394), including frequency and valence of experiences of CP during childhood, outcome expectancies of CP, and perceptions of self-efficacy and response efficacy of non-physical discipline strategies. Structural equation modeling results revealed that the indirect associations between CP frequency and attitudes through self-efficacy and response efficacy were moderated by CP valence. Results extend the literature and point to the need for incorporating information about efficacy of evidence-based non-physical discipline strategies into intervention messages targeting prevention of child physical abuse.

Ending the Social Normalization of Violence against Children in Canada: A Framework, Rationale, and Appeal to Canadian Faith Leaders

Corporal punishment remains the most common form of violence against children in Canada. Along with being legally permitted, it is made socially acceptable through cultural and social norms often disguised as discipline. Paraphrases of Judeo-Christian sacred texts such as "spare the rod; spoil the child" have been widely used to justify corporal punishment, and to create norms around the idea that it is a god-given responsibility of parents to inflict corporal punishment on their children "for their own good." Corporal punishment is then not only an acceptable part of raising children but can be a godly duty. Though Canada is a secular country, this social norm provides a moral hegemony under which violence becomes the status quo and has proven very difficult to change. In this commentary, we outline the ways that Christian religion has contributed to social norms around corporal punishment. We then argue that religious leaders have an opportunity-and moral responsibility-to contribute to change. We conclude with insights from social norms theory and offer evidence-based recommendations for ways forward that could help shift attitudes around corporal punishment in order to decrease its prevalence and harm. While each of these issues has been written about extensively in isolation, this commentary offers an analysis of these matters together under one umbrella. By making this relationship between Christianity and the social norms that propagate corporal punishment more visible, we draw attention to the role leaders in Christian churches could play in disrupting the social acceptance of violence against our youngest Canadian citizens. We provide a practical and evidence-based framework, rationale, and appeal to Canadian faith leaders to use their influence to add momentum to a critical health, rights-and religion-issue in Canada.

Family-Centered Care and Flourishing in Early Childhood

INTRODUCTION

Flourishing reflects a child's ability to cope with stress and have positive relationships, which are critical to health and well-being. Pediatricians may increase flourishing in children through family-centered care, which is perceived as sensitive and responsive to specific child needs and family circumstances. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between family-centered care and flourishing in young children.

METHODS

Data from the 2019-2020 National Survey of Children's Health were used to examine the relationship among children aged 1-5 years (n=17,826). The relationship was explored using chi-square tests and sequential logistic regression modeling, controlling for family socioeconomics and adversity, race/ethnicity, child health, and other measures of healthcare quality. Analyses were conducted in January 2022.

RESULTS

Approximately 82% of young children were flourishing. After adjusting for all variables, receipt of family-centered care was the only measure of quality health care associated with an increased likelihood of flourishing in young children (adjusted prevalence rate ratio=1.14; 95% CI=1.01, 1.29; p=0.02). Disparities in flourishing by child sex, race/ethnicity, parental education, income, and insurance type were mitigated after adjustment. However, a decreased likelihood of flourishing continued to be associated with having a special healthcare need (adjusted prevalence rate ratio=0.74; 95% CI=0.68, 0.82) and experiencing multiple adverse childhood experiences (adjusted prevalence rate ratio=0.78; 95% CI=0.66, 0.92).

CONCLUSIONS

Expanding receipt of family-centered care may support flourishing and help to reduce disparities in flourishing during early childhood. Future research should evaluate the strategies to overcome barriers to delivering and receiving family-centered care, especially among children with special healthcare needs and children who experienced multiple adverse childhood experiences.

Associations between spanking beliefs and reported spanking among adolescents-parent/caregiver dyads in a Canadian sample

Background

Research consistently demonstrates that physical punishment of children including “spanking” is harmful. Interest in effective prevention is growing rapidly. The aim of the current study is to examine spanking beliefs among adolescents and parents in relation to reports of spanking that the adolescents experienced before 11 years of age.

Methods

Data were drawn from Wave 1 of a study conducted in 2017–2018 that included adolescents (14–17 years old) and one of their parents/caregivers from Manitoba, Canada (n = 1000 pairs). The study objectives were to examine: 1) spanking beliefs of adolescents and their parents; 2) the correlation between parent and adolescent spanking beliefs; 3) whether parents perceive the words “spank” vs. “hit” differently using intraclass correlation; 4) the association between parents’ beliefs about spanking and parent- and adolescent-reported use of it; and 5) the relationship between sociodemographic variables and spanking. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Spearman’s correlation, intraclass correlation, and binary and multinomial logistic regression analyses.

Results

The prevalence of adolescent-reported and parents’-reported spanking were 46.0% and 39.6%, respectively. The proportions agreeing that spanking is a normal part of parenting were similar among adolescents (22.0%) and parents (18.5%), and were moderately correlated (intraclass correlation = 0.38, SE = 0.038). More than five times as many parents believed that “spanking” is necessary (19.5%) than believed that “hitting” is necessary (3.5%). Parents’ positive spanking beliefs were associated with increased likelihood of adolescent- and parent-reported spanking. Few significant associations were found between sociodemographic variables and parent-reported or adolescent-reported spanking.

Conclusions

Adolescents’ spanking beliefs are related to their parents’ spanking beliefs, suggesting that they are transmitted across generations. Public education and law reform are needed to decrease the normalization and perceived necessity of spanking in child-rearing. Efforts should include improving the understanding that spanking is a form of violence against children. With only a few significant differences noted between sociodemographic variables and parent- and adolescent- reported spanking and the prevalent use of spanking across all sociodemographic variable categories, it may be useful to develop universal approaches to awareness-raising and implementation of education strategies in Canada.

Trust in expert versus lay comments in online articles about spanking and car seat safety

In this study, we experimentally examined parents' perceptions of scientific information about spanking, a controversial topic, and car seat safety, a consensus topic, presented in online news articles. Specifically, we tested whether parents of children ages 2 to 8 years would trust scientific experts (speaking from professional expertise) more than online lay commenters (speaking from personal experience). One hundred and eighty parents across 41 U.S. states were recruited online from Amazon's Mechanical Turk (124 mothers, 56 fathers; 74% White, 9% Black, 8% Latino, 8% Asian, and 1% other or multiple ethnicities). Parents were randomly assigned to read a news article with an expert discussing spanking research that varied by two conditions: The news article contained either anti-spanking lay comments or pro-spanking lay comments. All parents also read a second news article on car seat safety (a consensus topic). Between-condition analyses were used to compare perceptions of the comment conditions, and within-condition analyses were used to compare perceptions of the expert knowledge versus the comments and to compare perceptions of the spanking expert versus the car seat expert. Moderation analyses were used to compare parents' perceptions based on their attitudes toward spanking. Parents with positive attitudes toward spanking recognized pro-spanking comments as opinion, yet still found them more trustworthy than a scientist taking the opposite position. All parents perceived the car seat expert as trustworthy. The results highlight challenges in disseminating information about controversial topics to the public. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Educating Parents About Corporal Punishment and Effective Discipline: Pediatricians' Preparedness, Motivation, and Barriers

OBJECTIVE

To assess US pediatricians' preparedness, motivation, and barriers related to educating parents about corporal punishment (CP) and effective child discipline.

METHODS

A random sample of 1500 pediatricians was drawn from a nationwide database in the United States. A self-administered questionnaire was sent via mail in 2016. The response rate (53%; n = 787) was maximized via repeated survey mailings and use of cash incentives.

RESULTS

The majority of respondents were White (69%), female (59%) and were members of the American Academy of Pediatrics (85%). Most pediatricians felt somewhat prepared to advise parents about child discipline, particularly CP, and perceived their colleagues to be slightly less prepared than themselves. Although most (72%) respondents believed it was "extremely/very" likely that parents valued their advice about child discipline, only 36% believed parents were "extremely/very" likely to follow their advice. Most respondents were highly motivated to participate in activities designed to change norms regarding CP. The most common strategy pediatricians identified for improving child behavior was being consistent with rules (71%). Perceived barriers to providing child discipline advice to parents included lack of time (90%), lack of insurance reimbursement (48%), and lack of training and educational resources (47%).

CONCLUSIONS

Pediatricians are a key source of professional advice for parents about how to discipline children safely. Given this, along with strong approval and use of CP in the United States and its harm for children, the current findings suggest a strong need for pediatricians to receive additional training on how to advise parents about child discipline along with removal of barriers to providing such advice.

Psychometric Evaluation of a Brief Assessment of Parents' Disciplinary Alternatives

OBJECTIVES

The majority of strategies designed to assess parental discipline practices typically focus on ineffective or adverse discipline options. When more comprehensive measures are utilized, parents are often expressly asked to report their use of nonphysical discipline options but such an approach signals to parents that they should report implementing such choices, thereby rendering it susceptible to social desirability.

METHODS

Rather than cueing parents with possible discipline options, the Production of Discipline Alternatives (PDA) is a very brief parent-report coding scheme of the discipline options parents freely generate to an open-ended question after reading a short vignette. The current study investigated the inter-rater reliability and stability as well as concurrent and predictive validity from the coding of this brief qualitative prompt using three waves of longitudinal data collected from mothers and fathers (prenatally, child age 6 months, and child age 18 months).

RESULTS

Findings demonstrated strong inter-rater reliability (between independent coders) and stability of discipline alternatives provided by parents across nearly two years. Concurrent and predictive validity were also observed; specifically, mothers and fathers who generated proportionally more physical discipline options were more likely to approve of physical discipline, to be inclined to punish perceived misbehavior, to prefer authoritarian parenting approaches, to evidence greater child abuse risk, and to report more frequent use of physical discipline.

CONCLUSIONS

The current findings imply the PDA may have research utility as well as potential value in screenings at primary and integrated care settings relevant for prevention and intervention efforts.

Commonalities and Differences in Social Norms Related to Corporal Punishment Among Black, Latino and White Parents

To establish commonalities and differences in social norms related to corporal punishment among Black, Latino, and White parents, we first examine survey data from a random sample of a nationally representative opt-in internet panel (n = 2500) to establish the frequency of corporal punishment among parents of children under five (n = 540) and their perceptions of the frequency of use of corporal punishment in their community and whether they ought to use corporal punishment. We disaggregate by race/ethnicity and education to identify higher risk groups. To better understand the beliefs underlying these perceptions among the higher risk group (i.e., less educated), we used a grounded theory approach to analyze data from 13 focus groups (n = 75) segmented by race/ethnicity (i.e., Black, Latino, or White), gender (i.e., mothers or fathers), and population density (i.e., rural or urban). Survey findings revealed that 63% of parents spanked, albeit the majority seldom or sometimes. Spanking was most frequent among Latinos (73%) and lowest among White parents (59%). While all participants across racial/ethnic groups believed the majority of parents spanked, even more than the proportion that actually do, about half believed they ought to spank. Perceptions of the frequency and acceptability of corporal punishment were associated with use of corporal punishment. The qualitative findings highlight more similarities than differences across Black, Latino, and White communities. The findings suggest social norms change efforts might focus on parents with less education and influencing perceptions around whether they ought to spank.

A Short-Term Evaluation of a Hospital No Hit Zone Policy to Increase Bystander Intervention in Cases of Parent-to-Child Violence

This study used a pre/post design to evaluate the implementation of a hospital-wide No Hit Zone (NHZ) bystander intervention around parent-to-child hitting. A total of 2,326 staff completed the pre-NHZ survey and received training about the NHZ policy; 623 staff completed the post-test survey 10 months later. A group of 225 parents participated in the pre-NHZ survey and a second group of 180 participated in the post-NHZ survey, also 10 months later. Compared to staff in the pre-NHZ group, staff in the post-NHZ group had more negative attitudes about spanking and more positive attitudes about intervention when parents hit children in the hospital. Few differences were found among the parent pre- and post-groups. This study demonstrated that NHZs are a feasible way to inform and train hospital staff in ways to intervene during incidents of parent-to-child hitting to promote a safe and healthy medical environment.

US Pediatricians' Attitudes, Beliefs, and Perceived Injunctive Norms About Spanking

OBJECTIVE

To assess United States pediatricians' attitudes, beliefs, and perceived professional injunctive norms regarding spanking.

METHOD

A self-administered questionnaire was mailed to a nationwide random sample of 1500 pediatricians in the US, drawn from a database maintained by IMS Health. Four survey mailings were conducted and cash incentives of up to $20 were provided. The response rate was 53% (N = 787).

RESULTS

Most respondents were members of the American Academy of Pediatrics (85%), had been practicing physicians for 15 years or more (66%), and were white (69%) and female (59%). All US regions were represented. About 3-quarters of pediatricians did not support the use of spanking, and most perceived that their colleagues did not support its use either. Pediatricians who were male, black, and/or sometimes spanked as children had more positive attitudes toward spanking and expected more positive outcomes from spanking than their counterparts. Nearly 80% of pediatricians never or seldom expected positive outcomes from spanking, and a majority (64%) expected negative outcomes some of the time.

CONCLUSION

The majority of pediatricians in the US do not support the use of spanking with children and are aware of the empirical evidence linking spanking with increased risk of poor health outcomes for children. Pediatricians are a key, trusted professional source in advising parents about child discipline. These findings suggest that most pediatricians will discourage the use of spanking with children, which over time could reduce its use and associated harms in the population. This is of clinical relevance because, despite strong and consistent evidence of the harms that spanking raises for children, spanking is still broadly accepted and practiced in the US.