The intergenerational transmission of corporal punishment: A comparison of social learning and temperament models

doi:10.1016/0145-2134(95)00103-F

Child Abuse & Neglect

Volume 19, Issue 11, November 1995, Pages 1323-1335

https://doi.org/10.1016/0145-2134(95)00103-F Get rights and content

Abstract

This family study examined two models regarding the intergenerational transmission of corporal punishment. The model based on social learning assumptions asserted that corporal punishment influences aggressive child behavior. The model based on temperament theory suggested that aggressive child behavior impacts upon parental use of corporal punishment. Participants were 1,536 parents of 983 college students. Corporal punishment was assessed from father, mother, and child perspectives. Path analyses revealed that the social learning model was most consistent with the data.

Résumé

Dans cetteétude, les auteurs ont examinédeux modèles qui expliqueraient comment les punitions corporelles sont transmises d'une génération a l'autre. Le modèle qui s'appuye sur la théorie de l'apprentissage social indique que les punitions corporelles influencent le comportement agressif chez l'enfant. Par contre, la théorie du tempérament comme facteur explicatif suggère que le comportement agressif de l'enfant influence les parentsàavoir recours aux punitions corporelles. L'étude a engagéla participation de 1.536 parents et 983 collégiens et collégiennes. On aétudiéla question des punitions corporelles tant du point de vue du père que de la mère et de l'enfant. Selon l'analyse, le modèle de l'apprentissage social est celui qui s'avere le plus cohérent avec les données.

Resumen

Este estudio familiar examinódos modelos en cuanto a la transmisión intergeneracional del maltrato corporal. El modelo hasado en fundamentos del aprendizaje social afirmo que el castigo corporal influye en la conducta agresiva del nin˜o/a. El modelo basado en la teoría del temperamento sugirióque la conducta agresiva del nin˜o/a influye en el uso parental del castigo físico. Participaron 1,536 padres de 983 estudiantes universitarios. Se evaluóel castigo corporal desde la perspectiva del padre, la madre y el nin˜o/a. Los análisis revelaron que el modelo de aprendizaje social era más consistente con los datos.

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Social support helps reduce the personal demands, stress, isolation, and depressive symptoms that can contribute to child maltreatment (e.g., Armstrong, Birnie-Lefcovitch, & Ungar, 2005; Bishop & Leadbeater, 1999; Garbarino & Kostelny, 1995; Thompson, 1995). Specifically, emotional support in raising a child, informational support including personal and childrearing advice, and instrumental support such as help with childcare may contribute to reducing risk for child maltreatment (Dietz, 2000; Garbarino & Kostelny, 1995; Klevens & Whitaker, 2007; Leventhal & Brooks-Gunn, 2000, 2003; Muller, Hunter, & Stollak, 1995; Thompson, 1995). Further, perceived social support may positively influence parenting beliefs and behaviors, including a greater responsivity to child needs, close monitoring, and more frequent positive parent-child interactions (Green et al., 2007; Respler-Herman et al., 2012; Taylor et al., 2015).
The use of corporal punishment (CP) is a strong risk factor for many poor outcomes for children including child maltreatment. The use of CP occurs within social contexts which are important to understand. Although it is known that perceived social norms regarding CP are related to its use, the specific role that a mother’s primary support person plays in influencing attitudes toward and use of CP remains unknown. The current study assessed linkages between maternal perceived social support in parenting and perceived injunctive norms of CP from her primary source of support, with maternal attitudes toward and use of CP. Survey data were collected from female primary caregivers (N = 436) of children age 2 to 7 years (mean age = 3.7) enrolled in Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) clinics in Southeastern Louisiana. Most frequently, the biological father of the child (37.9%) and the maternal grandmother of the child (24.2%) were identified as the participant’s primary source of social support in parenting. Perceived injunctive norms of this support person toward CP use were significantly and positively associated with attitudes toward, AOR = 5.97, 95% CI = [4.04, 8.82], and use of CP, AOR = 3.77, 95% CI = [2.55, 5.59]. However, perceived social support was not associated with these outcomes and also did not moderate these associations. Findings suggest that efforts to reduce maternal risk for child physical abuse and use of CP must include the mother’s primary source of social support if they are to be successful.
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Corporal punishment (CP) continues to be a common form of discipline in the U.S despite indications of its long-term harm to children, including strong risk for child physical abuse. Parents that are exposed to CP or physical abuse in childhood are at heightened risk for using CP with their own children. In examining parenting practices relevant to preventing child physical abuse, Positive Deviance relates to those parents who choose effective, positive parenting strategies to discipline their children, despite being exposed to CP and physical abuse in childhood. Little is known about buffering or motivating factors that prevent parents from using CP, or how these factors are influenced by parental childhood history or CP social norms. Therefore, this study examines the motives for use of positive parenting practices, including non-use of CP, for mothers who were exposed to CP and physical abuse in childhood (Positive Deviance). Qualitative interviews were conducted with seventeen mothers with a history of childhood CP and physical abuse. Results indicate that participating mothers believe CP is not an effective discipline strategy and is harmful for children. Mothers opted to use positive parenting practices, rather than CP, with their own children based on empathy, knowledge of harm, as well as rejection of intergenerational transmission of CP and community norms. Findings provide evidence that a Positive Deviance approach can inform target areas for primary prevention strategies aimed at reducing child physical abuse. Directions for multi-level public health prevention approaches and educational campaigns are discussed.
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As suggested by Straus, Hamby, Finkelhor, Moore, and Runyan (1998), parents’ harsh discipline includes psychological aggression, corporal punishment, severe physical abuse, and very severe physical abuse. Nevertheless, previous research about the intergenerational transmission of harsh discipline has drawn particular attention to physical discipline (e.g., corporal punishment or physical abuse) (Muller, Hunter, & Stollak, 1995; Wang & Xing, 2014; Wang et al., 2014) or combined psychological aggression with physical discipline (e.g., combined verbal attack, physical attacks, angry coercion, and hostility into hostile parenting) (Capaldi, Pears, Patterson, & Owen, 2003; Neppl, Conger, Scaramella, & Ontai, 2009; Scaramella & Conger, 2003; Schofield, Conger, & Conger, 2016). Yet, few studies have actually explored the intergenerational transmission of psychological aggression.
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: This research was funded by fellowships granted to the first author from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (grants 452-89-0451 and 452-90-0226).

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The intergenerational transmission of corporal punishment: A comparison of social learning and temperament models

Abstract

Résumé

Resumen

Child Abuse & Neglect

Child Abuse & Neglect

Child Abuse & Neglect

Child Abuse & Neglect

Behavior Research and Therapy

Child Abuse & Neglect

Some methods for respecifying measurement models to obtain unidimensional construct measurement

Journal of Marketing Research

Significance tests and goodness of fit in the analysis of covariance structures

Psychological Bulletin

The intergenerational transmission of family violence: The long-term effects of aggressive behavior

Aggressive Behavior

Sexual abuse trauma among professional women: Validating the trauma symptom checklist-40 (TSC-40)

Child Abuse & Neglect

The antisocial behavior inventory: Assessing antisocial behavior in alcoholic and nonalcoholic adults

Observed causes of child abuse

Victimology

Problem-solving therapy

Circumstances surrounding the occurrence of child maltreatment

Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology

The child behavior rating scale

Unidimensional measurement, second order factor analysis, and causal models

A brief review of the characteristics of abuse-prone parents

Behavior Therapist

Structural analysis of covariance and correlation matrices

Psychometrika

Do abused children become abusive parents?

American Journal of Orthopsychiatry

Child abuse