Physical punishment and Colombian children and adolescents' cognitive and behavioral outcomes

Parent Physical and Psychological Aggression and Youth Dating Violence: A Latent Class Analysis Approach

Adolescent dating violence is a national public health issue and research suggests that aggressive parenting may predict the likelihood that a child will subsequently experience abuse. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of parent physical and psychological aggression on adolescent dating violence perpetration and victimization. Data derived from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study resulted in a racially and ethnically diverse sample of adolescents in dating relationships at the age of 15 years (N = 952). Utilizing both parent and adolescent data which assessed parenting practices at ages 3, 5, 9, and 15, and adolescent dating violence victimization and perpetration at age 15, we analyzed the data using a latest class analysis. Youth were typologized into three classes: the non-physically aggressive parenting, nonaggressive dating class (Class 1; 16% of youth), the aggressive parenting, nonaggressive dating class (Class 2; 76% of youth), and the aggressive parenting, aggressive dating class (Class 3; 8% of youth). Parents across all three classes utilized high levels of psychologically aggressive parenting. An important finding from this study is that parents' use of both physically and psychologically aggressive parenting only predicted subsequent dating violence victimization and perpetration among a small portion of adolescents. Findings suggest that additional risk factors, including household income and adolescent impulsivity, may help to elucidate pathways to adolescent dating violence. There is also a need to further explore the resiliency factors at play for youth who, despite having experienced both psychologically and physically aggressive parenting across the lifespan, did not experience dating violence victimization or perpetration.

Corporal Punishment and Child Development in Low- and- Middle-Income Countries: Progress, Challenges, and Directions

Most studies and reviews of studies on the developmental consequences of corporal punishment have focused on samples from the U.S. and other high-income countries. This study conducted a rapid review of the literature on the associations between corporal punishment and children's cognitive and social-emotional development in low- and- middle-income countries (LMICs). Information from more than 42 studies of children younger than 18 years living in 64 LMICs was reviewed. Overall, the reviewed studies show associations between corporal punishment and negative cognitive and social-emotional outcomes, and there is no evidence that corporal punishment may relate to any positive developmental outcome in LMICs. Yet, issues of internal and external validity are common in the literature. The current evidence indicates that corporal punishment might increase the risk of detrimental child outcomes in LMICs, but further research with stronger methodological designs including samples from multiple settings is warranted.

A study on the subjectivity of South Korean parents regarding corporal punishment in early childhood

BACKGROUND

We conducted this study after South Korea abolished parental disciplinary rights in 2021.

OBJECTIVE

This study identifies the characteristics of parental perceptions regarding types of corporal punishment administered to children by discovering the in-depth subjective structure of perceptions.

PARTICIPANTS

We recruited 40 participants (parents with children aged two to six years) after posting a notice on the bulletin boards of infant nursing and education institutions in Seoul.

METHODS

The study employed Q methodology. The research procedure involved 40 Q-samples (selected from the Q-concourse) classified according to P-samples of 40 participants. We used the QUANL program to analyze data.

RESULTS

We categorized parents' perceptions into four types: removal (corporal punishment is wrong and should not be used), discipline (corporal punishment is a disciplinary method), trigger (certain triggers induce corporal punishment), and habit (corporal punishment occurs habitually). While all parents in the four types perceived corporal punishment as an action to avoid, stopping it in childcare settings was difficult. Some parents viewed it as necessary and revealed the importance of setting standards. Results showed that support measures (such as parental education and legal measures) are required to correct misconceptions and inaccurate knowledge about corporal punishment and create a quality, nurturing environment for children.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings provide meaningful data supporting measures to reduce parental corporal punishment that inhibits growth in early childhood.

Violence Exposure Among Adolescent Boys and Young Men in Colombia With a Lifetime History of Transactional Sex

PURPOSE

There is a paucity of research examining the contextual factors that shape the violence experienced by those engaged in transactional sex, particularly among adolescent boys and young men. Recognizing the acute vulnerability among youth engaged in transactional sex, this analysis examined the associations between lifetime transactional sex and experience of violence among 13- to 24-year-old males.

METHODS

Using data from two strata of the 2018 Violence Against Children and Youth Survey from Colombia, logistic regressions were used to estimate the association between engagement in transactional sex and violence exposure. Three groups of violence outcomes were examined: violence victimization, violence perpetration, and witnessing violence.

RESULTS

Violence victimization and witnessing violence were widespread. Adolescent boys and young men with a lifetime history of transactional sex were significantly more likely to experience violence victimization than those without a lifetime history of transactional sex, particularly intimate partner violence (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 5.23 and 5.41) and caregiver emotional violence (aOR: 7.23 and 8.74). In the national and priority samples respectively, those with a lifetime history of transactional sex were also significantly more likely to witness violence within the home (aOR: 4.42 and 4.99) and outside of the home (aOR: 7.24 and 28.32).

DISCUSSION

Although research is needed to determine causal pathways, our findings highlight the ubiquity of violence and the criticality of supporting this group of adolescent boys and young men. Interventions for those with a history of transactional sex should address factors that may contribute to drivers of violence and transactional sex.

Spanking and children's social competence: Evidence from a US kindergarten cohort study

BACKGROUND

Spanking is a risk factor for children's social competency. However, establishing causality is a challenge, given selection bias in samples and the possibility of confounding the harms of excessive spanking with the effects of infrequent spanking.

OBJECTIVE

This study addressed these causality issues to strengthen the causal estimates of the links between spanking and children's social competency.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

The study used longitudinal US kindergarten cohort data from children aged 5 to 7.

METHODS

The study used matching and lagged dependent variables to mitigate selection bias associated with lifetime (Ns = 17,171-17,537) and recent (Ns = 10,393-10,724) incidence of spanking. Cases in which spanking frequency exceeded two times a week were excluded. Sample sizes are provided in ranges due to the variations across multiple imputed samples.

RESULTS

Lifetime experience of spanking by age 5 was associated with higher externalizing behaviors at ages 6 and 7, and with lower self-control and interpersonal skills at age 6. A recent incidence of spanking at age 5 was associated with higher externalizing behaviors, lower self-control, and lower interpersonal skills at ages 6 and 7. These results remain significant after cases of frequent spanking were excluded.

CONCLUSION

The results support the argument that spanking harms children's social development.

Meaningful engagement: A crossfunctional framework for digital therapeutics

Digital mental health interventions, or digital therapeutics, have the potential to transform the field of mental health. They provide the opportunity for increased accessibility, reduced stigma, and daily integration with patient's lives. However, as the burgeoning field continues to expand, there is a growing concern regarding the level and type of engagement users have with these technologies. Unlike many traditional technology products that have optimized their user experience to maximize the amount of time users spend within the product, such engagement within a digital therapeutic is not sufficient if users are not experiencing an improvement in clinical outcomes. In fact, a primary challenge within digital therapeutics is user engagement. Digital therapeutics are only effective if users sufficiently engage with them and, we argue, only if users meaningfully engage with the product. Therefore, we propose a 4-step framework to assess meaningful engagement within digital therapeutics: (1) Define the measure of value (2) Operationalize meaningful engagement for your digital therapeutic (3) Implement solutions to increase meaningful engagement (4) Iteratively evaluate the solution's impact on meaningful engagement and clinical outcomes. We provide recommendations to the common challenges associated with each step. We specifically emphasize a cross-functional approach to assessing meaningful engagement and use an adolescent-focused example throughout to further highlight developmental considerations one should consider depending on their target users.

The association between spanking and physical abuse of young children in 56 low- and middle-income countries

BACKGROUND

Nearly one third of children under five in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) experience spanking. Studies from North America suggest that spanking is associated with heightened risk of physical abuse. However, the link between spanking and physical abuse in the international context remains understudied.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the association between caregivers' spanking and physical abuse of young children in LMICs, and to estimate the extent to which physical abuse might be reduced if spanking were eliminated.

PARTICIPANTS

We used nationally representative data from 156,166 1- to 4-year-old children in 56 LMICs from the fourth and fifth rounds of UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys.

METHODS

A nationally weighted multilevel logistic regression model examined the association between spanking and physical abuse. We calculated predicted probabilities of physical abuse, which we present using natural frequencies.

RESULTS

Spanking was associated with higher odds of physical abuse (OR = 5.74, p < .001). The predicted probability of physical abuse decreased by 14% comparing children who were spanked (22%) and who were not spanked (8%). When our estimates were translated to a hypothetical sample of 100 children using a natural frequency approach, 32 children were spanked; of those, seven experienced physical abuse. The elimination of spanking would result in four fewer children who were exposed to physical abuse. In relation to the population of abused children, estimates suggest that physical abuse could reduce by up to 33% if spanking were eliminated.

CONCLUSIONS

Results support the UN Sustainable Development Goals Target 16.2 that calls for eliminating all forms of violence against children. Child welfare advocates should discourage caregivers from using spanking, in order to prevent physical abuse.

Public policy and parent-child aggression: Considerations for reducing and preventing physical punishment and abuse

Parent-child physical aggression, including both physical punishment and abuse, remains a prevalent problem in the United States. In this paper, we briefly review the prevalence and harms of parent-child aggression and discuss changes in social norms and policies over the past several decades. Then, we discuss broad social policies influencing risk for parent-child physical aggression, policies relevant to reducing and preventing physical abuse, and policies relevant to reducing and preventing physical punishment. We close by considering future directions to strengthen research and evaluation and accelerate progress toward ending parent-child physical aggression.

Patterns of caregiver aggressive and nonaggressive discipline toward young children in low- and middle-income countries: A latent class approach

BACKGROUND

Caregivers use a variety of disciplinary methods to respond to undesired child behavior. Many caregivers use nonaggressive forms of discipline, such as verbal reasoning and redirection. Some caregivers use aggressive forms of discipline, such as spanking and yelling. However, most caregivers use a combination of aggressive and nonaggressive discipline. To date, a disproportionately small number of caregiver discipline studies are conducted in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and few studies in low-resource contexts examine aggressive and nonaggressive behaviors simultaneously.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to elucidate caregiver patterns of 11 disciplinary behaviors used in LMICs, and examine how these patterns relate to child outcomes and household characteristics.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

Data came from the fourth and fifth rounds of UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) distributed between 2009 and 2017 (N = 218,824 respondents across 63 countries). Focal children were 3-4 years old.

METHODS

Patterns of disciplinary behaviors were estimated using a multilevel latent class analysis (LCA). Multinomial regression analyses examined associations of disciplinary patterns with caregiver-reported child outcomes and household characteristics.

RESULTS

The LCA suggested caregiver discipline fell into three overall patterns: high behavioral control, moderate behavior control, and lower behavioral control. The lower behavioral control class was associated with the most advantageous child outcomes and household socio-demographic characteristics, whereas the high behavioral control class was associated with the most disadvantageous child outcomes and household characteristics.

CONCLUSIONS

Efforts should be employed to reduce aggressive behaviors and promote positive parenting among caregivers in LMICs.

Pathways From Family Violence to Adolescent Violence: Examining the Mediating Mechanisms

PURPOSE

Past research has documented a significant relationship between family violence and adolescent violence. However, much is unknown about the processes through which this association occurs, especially in the non-Western cultural context. To address this gap, we propose an integrated model encompassing multiple pathways that connect family violence to adolescent violence. Specifically, this study investigates how family violence is related to adolescent violence through violent peer association, normative beliefs about violence, and negative emotions.

METHOD

We tested the model using the two-wave survey data collected from a probability sample of more than 1,100 adolescents residing in one of the largest metropolitan areas in China in 2015 to 2016.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

The results indicated that family violence predicted adolescent violence perpetration. Violent peer association, normative beliefs, and negative emotions, however, mediated much of the relationship between family violence and adolescent violence.