Ann Marie Halpenny, Elizabeth Nixon & Dorothy Watson

•Links between parental discipline responses, child behaviour and children's psychological well-being (Smith et al, 2005; Gershoff, 2002; Parke, 2002; Eisenberg et al, 2001)

•Parenting in changing family contexts•Diverse family forms•Work life balance

•Inductive, power-assertive and love-withdrawal discipline strategies

•Physical punishment of children – definitions and prevalence

•Legislative context

Background and Context

Study Objectives

The primary aims of this research are to

1. identify the main parenting styles and forms of discipline used by parents with children up to 18 years

2. identify extent to which parents use physical punishment as a discipline strategy with their children

3. identify parental attitudes to the legislative position in relation to physical punishment and children.

Study Design & Methods

Telephone survey methodology adopted

Interviews with 1,353 parents, with at least one child under 18 years of age

Standardised measures of parenting style, child behaviour and child temperament

Sample Profile

Descriptor Percent of Sample (Weighted)

Mothers 54%

Fathers 46%

Age under 35 years 26%

Age 35-44 years 44%

Age 45 years and over 29%

Married 83%

Education less than Leaving Certificate 28%

Leaving Certificate 26%

Education beyond Leaving Certificate 45%

In paid employment 74%

Youngest child age 0-4 43%

Youngest child age 5-9 25%

Youngest child age 10-14 20%

Youngest child age 15-17 12%

Survey Questionnaire

• General views on parenting in Ireland• Attitudes toward physical punishment and contexts in which it

occurs• Details of household and randomly selected child• Parenting styles• Discipline strategies experienced by parents in their childhood• Discipline strategies adopted by parents with child in past

year• Physical punishment• Attitudes toward legislation on the use of physical punishment• Demographic background of the respondent

Perceived Pressures on Parents

Key Findings on Parental Use of Discipline Strategies

Non-aggressive discipline strategies

e.g. Discussed issue calmly, time out, grounding child

Psychologically aggressive discipline strategies

e.g. Refuse to talk to child, shout or yell, threaten to smack or hit child

Physical punishment

e.g. Smack or slap child, hit child with instrument, shake, push or grab child

Non-Aggressive Discipline Strategies

Non-Aggressive Discipline Strategies

• Time-out more likely to be used with children in middle childhood (aged 5-9 years) and less likely to be used by parents in the oldest age category (45 years and over)

• Grounding more likely to be used with children in early adolescence (aged 10-14 years) and more likely to be used by parents aged between 35 and 44

• Fathers less likely than mothers to threaten to tell someone else as a discipline response.

Psychologically-Aggressive Discipline Strategies

Psychologically-Aggressive Discipline Strategies

• Threatening to smack a child more likely to be used with children in middle childhood (aged 5-9 years) and less likely to be used by parents in the oldest age category (45 years and over)

• Calling a child stupid or lazy more likely to be used with older adolescents (aged 15-17 years)

• Fathers less likely than mothers to walk out (of the room or house) on a child as a response to a disciplinary incident.

Parental Use of Physical Punishment

Parental Use of Physical Punishment

Parental Use of Any Physical Punishment in Past Year

Parental Use of Any Physical Punishment in Past Year – Comparison with UK Figures

Key Factors Associated with Higher Incidence of Physical Punishment

•Parents with children aged 2-9 years more likely to slap children in response to child misbehaviour

•Parents in the youngest age category (under 35) more likely to slap a child on the bottom, hands, arms or legs than parents in other age groups

•Parents whose children had hyperactivity and/or conduct difficulties (as measured by the SDQ) more likely to have used physical punishment in the past year

•Parents who, during their own childhood had been smacked and parents who had been hit with an instrument (such as a slipper or hairbrush) more likely to have used physical punishment with their children in the past year.  

Key Findings on Attitudes to Physical Punishment

Key Findings on Attitudes to Physical Punishment

Key Findings on Attitudes to Physical Punishment

Perceived effectiveness of physical punishment – Achieving immediate compliance

– Preventing future misbehaviour

Rationales for using physical punishment– Stop child doing something dangerous

– Stop bad behaviour quickly

– Underline seriousness of child’s behaviour

Contexts in which physical punishment likely to occur– Repeated child defiance or aggression

– Situational factors

Rationales for Using Physical Punishment

Key Findings on Attitudes to Legislation on Physical Punishment

Parental awareness of current status of law on physical punishment in Ireland

Parental awareness of proposed changes to law on physical punishment in Ireland

Parental attitudes to banning physical punishment with children

Parental Attitudes to Banning Physical Punishment

Parental Attitudes to Banning Physical Punishment - Comparison with UK Studies

Conclusions

•Non-aggressive discipline strategies most prevalent among Irish parents

•Incidence of physical punishment among parents in Ireland is low compared to similar UK-based studies

•Ambivalence evident in parental attitudes to the use of physical punishment with children

•Discipline strategies need to be considered in the broader context of parenting and the specifics of the disciplinary incident

•Physical punishment often used as an adjunct, rather than as an alternative, to other discipline strategies

•Parents did not widely endorse legal prohibition of physical punishment