Corporal punishment down

[brewer]

Thank god Trump is in. We need to put and need to this revolting development.


Quote:"Use of corporal punishment by parents in the 90th, 50th, and 10th percentiles of SES (socioeconomic status) decreased significantly from 42%, 54%, and 58%, respectively, in 1988 to 10%, 15%, and 22%, respectively, in 2011."

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John D. Cowden, MD, MPH reviewing Ryan RM at al. Pediatrics 2016 Nov 14.

From 1988 to 2011, parental use of corporal punishment for kindergarten-age children decreased and nonphysical discipline increased in all socioeconomic classes.

Previous studies have shown that parents in low-income families are more likely to use physical punishment in disciplining their children than parents in higher-income families. As popular support for corporal punishment has fallen, trends in this socioeconomic gap remain unexplored.

Researchers analyzed nationally representative surveys conducted in 1988, 1997, 1998, and 2011 to compare parent-reported discipline techniques by socioeconomic status (SES). The surveys asked mothers of children aged 5 to 7 years how many times in the last week they spanked their child and what discipline strategy they would use if their child were to hit them (“hit back,” “spank,” “send to room,” “have him/her take a time out,” or “talk to”). SES was determined by income and parent education.

Use of corporal punishment by parents in the 90th, 50th, and 10th percentiles of SES decreased significantly from 42%, 54%, and 58%, respectively, in 1988 to 10%, 15%, and 22%, respectively, in 2011. Over the same period, the proportion of parents who would send a misbehaving child for a time out or to their room increased from 50%, 41%, and 45%, respectively, to 85%, 81%, and 71%, respectively. The gap between the 90th and 10th percentile SES groups did not change significantly over time, as the decreases in physical punishment and increases in alternative forms of discipline were similar across socioeconomic groups.

COMMENT

Reductions in physical punishment may be heartening, but persistent differences in discipline strategies by SES require us to use a nuanced approach when advocating for nonphysical discipline in the home. Approaching SES through the lens of cultural differences (between cultures of wealth, middle class, and poverty, as well as neighborhood, religion, etc.) can help us partner with parents rather than preach to them and navigate difficult conversations about discipline.

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