Corporal Punishment: What the evidence tells us about the effects on child development

03 December 2013

Pretoria

PAN: Children Dialogue Series

SA Research in the context of global evidence

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Risk for use of corporal punishment

Interpersonal Individual Characteristics of child at risk

Male-dominated households

Caregiver psychological functioning

Psychological functioning and temperament

Marital conflict Age and educational attainment

Gender

Family structure Violence in family of origin

Age

(Dawes et al 2005)

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Aggression and Anti-social behaviour

• Children punished by corporal punishment, by parents – significantly more likely to become aggressive with

peers• Trickett PK & Kuczynski C (1986) • Barlow & Parsons (2005)

– Increased risk of delinquency and substance abuse

• Barlow & Parsons (2005) • Mulvaney MK & McBert CJ (2007)

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• A Campbell Collaboration Systematic review found that parenting practices, and specifically harsh discipline, little positive parenting involvement, and poor supervision, accounted for up to 40% of variation in social behaviour amongst children

(Patterson (1993))

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• Corporal punishment in adolescence is strongly associated with an increased probability of condoning violence against one’s spouse, experiencing depression as an adult, and elevating levels of marital conflict. In turn, each of these components was associated with an increased probability of physically assaulting one’s spouse and child.

Straus, MA & Yodanis CL (1996)

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• In a meta-analysis of 88 studies, Gershoff concludes that there are strong negative associations between corporal punishment and:

• Mental health in childhood• Aggression in childhood• Delinquent and anti-social behaviour in childhood and

adolescence• Abusing a child or spouse as an adult (particularly strong

association with IPV)(Gershoff ET (2002))

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Because…

• Kerr DCR (2004) shows that corporal punishment reduces both empathy and moral regulation.

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And….

“The effect of corporal punishment may best be understood from a stress-process framework. Receiving physical discipline from a parent is likely to be stressful for a child, and children who are continuously exposed to stressors in their environment (and perceive them as stressful) show increased internalizing and externalizing behaviours.”

(Turner & Finkelhor (1996))

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Impact of Corporal Punishment

In South Africa

• Data collected through the CJCP national child and youth surveys (household and school-based) provides empirical evidence of the relationship between corporal punishment and various negative behavioural outcomes

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Strong associations

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• Children who are beaten at home are more than TWICE as likely as those who are not to:– Use drugs– Have positive attitudes to assault, revenge,

and taking goods using force– Feel that violence is the best/appropriate

form of conflict resolution(p=.000; Exp(B) range between 1.98 and 2.66)

Strong associations

• Children who are beaten at home are ONE AND A HALF TIMES more likely than those who are not, to:– Steal money or goods– Feel unsafe at school, home and community– Feel that beating up others is a good way to

impress peers– Feel that stealing for revenge is acceptable

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(p=.000; Exp(B) range between 1.6 and 1.78)

Summary

• In conclusion:– Children who experience corporal punishment are

more likely to develop inadequate coping mechanisms, externalise behaviours, and adopt violent/aggressive responses and coping mechanisms as a child, through adolescence and into adulthood.

• What we DON’T know is the impact of severity and frequency on negative behavioural and developmental outcomes

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THANK YOU

patrick@cjcp.org.zawww.cjcp.org.za

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