SPANKING BY PARENTS: THE PRIMORDIAL VIOLENCE AND ITS ...

Soc 695 Family Violence Research In World Perspective Murray A. Straus
SPANKING BY PARENTS: THE PRIMORDIAL VIOLENCE
AND ITS EFFECTS ON CHILDREN
SIX QUESTIONS TO BE ADDRESSED
1. WHAT IS CORPORAL PUNISHMENT (CP)?
2. HOW PREVALENT IS CP BY PARENTS IN AROUND THE
WORLD?
3. ARE CHILDREN WHO ARE SPANKED REALLY HARMED?
4. IS CP SOMETIMES NECESSARY TO HAVE WELL-BEHAVED
CHILDREN?
5. WHAT ARE THE TRENDS IN USE OF CP?
6. WHAT WOULD A WORLD WITHOUT CP BE LIKE?
CP83 1

Question 1: WHAT IS CORPORAL PUNISHMENT (CP)?
� A. USE OF PHYSICAL FORCE
� B. WITH THE INTENTION OF CAUSING BODILY PAIN
� C. BUT NOT INJURY
� D. FOR PURPOSES OF CORRECTION OR CONTROL
EXAMPLES
•“SPANK,” “SMACK”
•SLAP HAND
•SHAKE, SHOVE, JERK
•GRAB OR SQUEEZE HARD
•TWIST EAR
etc.
� IF C AND D ARE PRESENT:
A LEGALLY PERMITTED TYPE OF PHYSICAL ATTACK
CP83 2

CORPORAL PUNISHMENT HAS BEEN THE NORM
FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS, AND STILL IS
ANCIENT ISRAEL: "He that spareth his rod hateth his son; but he that
loveth him chasteneth him betimes Proverbs 13:24
"This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey us. He is
a glutton and a drunkard. Then all the men of the town shall stone him
to death. Deuteronomy 22;12
18 th CENTURY ENGLAND: "When they turned a year old..., they were
taught to fear the rod and to cry softly...." (Susanna Wesley to her son
John, the founder of the Methodist Church, cited in Miller and Swanson
1958:10)
2001-2006 – Next Slide
CP83 3

PERCENT WHO AGREE “A GOOD HARD SPANKING IS SOMETIMES NECESSARY”
ALL NATIONS MEDIAN: Total = 52 % Males = 56% Females = 51%
High Half Of Nations Low Half Of Nations
Total Male Female Total Male Female
Taiwan 74.3 80.7 71.6 Australia 53.2 57.7 52.1
Tanzania 71.1 71.6 68.4 Canada 51.7 55.2 50.2
South Africa 67.6 61.0 67.2 Hungary 51.6 45.6 54.3
Mexico 66.7 70.8 65.7 Iran 51.6 57.1 50.0
Singapore 65.5 68.2 64.2 Greece 50.3 67.3 43.2
United States 60.8 68.9 56.7 Lithuania 48.8 57.6 44.2
Germany 60.1 63.8 58.5 Switzerland 45.2 52.6 41.6
Hong Kong 60.1 65.4 57.9 Romania 42.0 56.7 40.4
South Korea 59.0 63.5 56.4 Japan 35.1 45.0 25.4
Russia 58.8 65.3 54.0 Guatemala 33.4 40.0 24.8
China 58.4 64.7 54.9 Malta 33.3 45.9 28.8
India 56.3 59.1 54.8 Venezuela 28.3 40.9 19.3
Great Britain 55.0 62.3 53.6 Belgium 23.0 27.8 21.5
New Zealand 54.4 51.3 55.4 Israel 23.0 23.8 22.7
Australia 53.2 57.7 52.1 Portugal 20.8 27.7 16.9
Canada 51.7 55.2 50.2 Brazil 19.3 25.0 16.4
CP83
In rank order of national context total (VS01_1)`
4

Question 2: How
prevalent is CP
CP83 5

WORLD VISION STUDY OF
CHILD ABUSE AND NEGLECT IN 5 COUNTRIES
SAMPLE 971 household with a child at home in Romania, Kenya,
Ghana, Thailand, and Brazil
Stratified random sample. Mostly female respondents
Hit your child with your
hand
Hit your child with a stick
or belt
Percent In Past Year
Romania Kenya Thailand
Iasi Cj CT M S Ghana BS P
Brazil
70 74 58 64 64 66 27 21 72
42 53 22 70 82 84 70 75 % 41
From: World Vision (2001) Crying Out: Children And Communities Speak on Abuse
and Neglect, Appendix B.
CP83 6

THE
PRIMORDIAL
VIOLENCE
Over 90% hit
toddlers
More than
a third
hit infants
US national survey,
1,000 children, Straus
& Stewart, 1999
One out of
four are still
hitting at
age 16
CP83 7

LOW SES
PARENTS
HIT MORE,
BUT NOT
MUCH
MORE
CORPORAL PUNISHMENT OF CHILDREN AGE 7-9,
SAO PAULO, BRAZIL, 1999 (N=271)
45%
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
LOW HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX
AREA
HIGH HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX
AREA
SPANK, SLAP SHOVE, KICK PULL EAR, HAIR BELT, BRUSH PUNCH, SOCK
MARIA AMELIA AZEVEDO AND VIVIANNE NORGUIRA DE
AZEVEDO GUERRA, 2001 HITTING MANIA. SAO PAULO:
IGLU EDITORIA
CP83 8
AVEZEDO1

RATES FROM INTERVIEWING A NATIONAL SAMPLE OF CHILDREN, 2007*
* Harris Internet Youth Survey
CP83 9

CP83 10

SOME OTHER CORPORAL PUNISHMENT RATES
Chile 85.7% children in public schools
54.1% children in private school
(Vargas, Lopez, Perez, Zuniga, Toro & Ciocca, 1995)
Egypt 72.9% children over 10, past year (Youssef, Attia & Kamel, 1998b)
Italy 76.8% (Bardi & Borgognini-Tarli, 2001)
India 76.4% (Hunter, Jain, Sadowski & Sanhueza, 2000)
Mexico 74.9% (Frias-Armenta & McCloskey, 1998)
Jamaica *79% of mothers beat their two to five year olds with an implement
* 87% children age 11-12 ever
* 70% in the previous four weeks (N=1,172, Samms-Vaugham et al 2004)
(Sample of 75 economically deprived families, Landman, Grantham-
McGregor & Desai, 1983)
CP83 11

32 Nations In
the International
Dating
Violence
Study
PERCENT SPANKED OR HIT A LOT BEFORE AGE 12
ALL NATIONS MEDIAN: Total = 52, Males = 55, Females = 50
High Half Of Nations Low Half Of Nations
Total Male Female Total Male Female
Taiwan 74.3 80.7 71.6 Australia 53.2 57.7 52.1
Tanzania 71.1 71.6 68.4 Canada 51.7 55.2 50.2
South Africa 67.6 61.0 67.2 Hungary 51.6 45.6 54.3
Mexico 66.7 70.8 65.7 Iran 51.6 57.1 50.0
Singapore 65.5 68.2 64.2 Greece 50.3 67.3 43.2
United States 60.8 68.9 56.7 Lithuania 48.8 57.6 44.2
Germany 60.1 63.8 58.5 Switzerland 45.2 52.6 41.6
Hong Kong 60.1 65.4 57.9 Romania 42.0 56.7 40.4
South Korea 59.0 63.5 56.4 Japan 35.1 45.0 25.4
Russia 58.8 65.3 54.0 Guatemala 33.4 40.0 24.8
China 58.4 64.7 54.9 Malta 33.3 45.9 28.8
India 56.3 59.1 54.8 Venezuela 28.3 40.9 19.3
Great Britain 55.0 62.3 53.6 Belgium 23.0 27.8 21.5
New Zealand 54.4 51.3 55.4 Israel 23.0 23.8 22.7
Australia 53.2 57.7 52.1 Portugal 20.8 27.7 16.9
Canada 51.7 55.2 50.2 Brazil 19.3 25.0 16.4
CP83
In rank order of national context total (VS01_1)
12

CONCLUSION:
CHILDREN IN MOST OF THE WORLD, ARE
BROUGHT UP MORE VIOLENTLY
THAN IS GENERALLY REALIZED
• MORE PREVALENT 94% of toddlers spanked (USA & UK)
• MORE CHRONIC 3+ Times a week for toddlers
• MORE SEVERE 28% Used a paddle, belt, etc.
• LONGER DURATION 13 years for a third of US Children
17 years for 14% of US children
CP83 13

Question 3: ARE CHILDREN WHO ARE SPANKED
REALLY HARMED?
THE RESEARCH SHOWS THAT CP:
* Lowers the chances of many things all parents want for their their
children
* Increases the risk of many serious and life-long life long problems
PARENTS CAN’T SEE WHAT THE RESEARCH SHOWS BECAUSE
* They have no way to know what the child will be like in the future
* Research can find this out because based on following children
for years
* Therefore: Parents have to go on the basis of research which
shows the harmful side effects of spanking
LIKE SMOKERS WHO ALSO CAN'T SEE WHAT THE EFFECTS ARE
Both smokers and parents can only get information on the
benefits of stopping from research
CP83 14

WHAT THE RESEARCH SHOWS
ABOUT THE EFFECTS OF SPANKING
• Slows mental development
• Reduces academic performance in elementary school
• Increases anger and aggressiveness
• Increases probability of Depression
• Lowers occupational achievement and income
• Increases probability of violence against dating and marital
partners
• Increases probability of physical abuse of a child
RESULTS FROM SOME OF THE STUDIES SHOWING THESE EFFECTS
CP83 15

GROWTH IN
COGNITIVE ABILITY
OF CHILDREN
TWO YEARS LATER
* Not spanked:
increased faster than
average
AVERAGE
Data from the National
Longitudinal Survey Of
Youth. 1,510 children
CHANGE IN SCORE 1986-90
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
-1
-2
-3
NONE
CP83 16
ONCE
CP41CHART 3 COGNITIVE
AGE 2-4
AGE 5-9
TWICE
CORPORAL PUNISHMENT IN TWO SAMPLE WEEKS
3+

CP83 17

SPANKED
The more spanking
the more antisocial
behavior two years
later
NOT SPANKED
Antisocial behavior
measured two years
later decreased
CHANGE
IN
ANTI-
SOCIAL
BEHAVIOR
*
20
15
10
5
0
-5
FIGURE 1. CHANGE IN ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR
FROM 1988 TO 1990 BY SPANKING IN 1988
(CHILDREN 6-9) )
EURO-AMER.
MINORITY
NONE ONCE TWICE THREE +
TIMES SPANKED IN PREVIOUS WEEK
* ADJUSTED FOR TIME-1 ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR, COGNITIVE STIMULATION AND
CP83 EMOTIONAL SUPPORT BY THE MOTHER, CHILD GENDER, AND
SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS. CP67-1 ANTISOCIAL
18

CHILDREN IN SIX
DIVERSE NATIONS
THE MORE CORPORAL
PUNISHMENT
THE MORE:
• MORE AGGRESSION
• MORE ANXIETY
Lansford, J. E. et al (2005). Physical
Discipline and Children’s Adjustment:
Cultural Normativeness as a Moderator.
Child Development.
CP83 19

CP83 20

CP83 21

BY
PARENT
THE MORE CORPORAL PUNISHMENT,
THE GREATER THE PROBABILITY OF
PHYSICALLY ABUSING A CHILD
CP83 22
OF PARENT

THESE ARE ALL “RISK FACTORS,”
NOT ONE-TO-ONE LINKS
• A CONDITION WHICH INCREASES THE PROBABILITY OF A
DISEASE OR PROBLEM
• EXAMPLES:
– SMOKING AND DEATH FROM SMOKING RELATED DISEASE
(33% chance of death from a smoking related disease – which
means that 64% do not)
– FREQUENT SPANKING AND DELINQUENCY
(24% chance - 5 fold increase, but 76% do not become
delinquent)
– BINGE DRINKING AND WIFE BEATING
(19% chance - 3 fold increase, but 81% of binge drinkers do not
beat their wives)
CP83 23

Question 4.
IS CP
NECESSARY TO
HAVE WELL-
BEHAVED
CHILDREN?
SHORT RUN
EFFECTIVE-
NESS:
CP “WORKS”
BUT NO BETTER
THAN OTHER
METHODS
HOURS
TO
REPET-
ITION
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
FIGURE 3. HOURS TO REPITITON OF MISBEHAVIOR BY
40 CHILDREN AGE 2-3
CORPORAL
PUNISH ONLY
CORPORAL
PUNISH +
REASONING
FIGHTS AGAIN
NON-
CORPORAL
PUNISH
REASONING
ONLY
TYPE OF DISCIPLINE
REASONING +
FORCED
COMPLINACE
2,853 INSTANCES OF DISOBEDIANCE, 785 INSTANCES OF FIGHTING
CP67-3 LARZELERE (FROM LARZELERE & MIRANDA, TABLES 2 & 3)
REASONING +
NON-
CORPORAL
PUNISH
CP83 24

LONG-RUN
EFFECTIVENESS:
CP BOOMERANGS
CP83 25

CHANGE
IN
ANTISOCIAL
BEHAVIOR
NOT
SPANKED:
BEHAVIOR
IMPROVED
*
20
15
10
5
0
-5
FIGURE 1. CHANGE IN ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR
FROM 1988 TO 1990 BY SPANKING IN 1988
(CHILDREN 6-9) )
EURO-AMER.
MINORITY
NONE ONCE TWICE THREE +
TIMES SPANKED IN PREVIOUS WEEK
SPANKED:
BEHAVIOR
GOT WORSE
* ADJUSTED FOR TIME-1 ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR, COGNITIVE STIMULATION AND
CP83 EMOTIONAL SUPPORT BY THE MOTHER, CHILD GENDER, AND
SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS. CP67-1 ANTISOCIAL
26

TWO REASONS
WHY CP MAKES
THINGS WORSE IN
THE LONG RUN
1. LESS WELL
DEVELOPED
CONSCIENCE
CP83 27

2. WEAKENS
BOND TO
PARENT
FIG A. CLOSENESS OF CHILD TO MOTHER
BY CORPORAL PUNISHMENT
(713 CHILDREN AGE 5-18 IN TW O MINNESTA CITIES)
BONDING SCALE *
54
52
50
48
46
44
42
40
BONDING2A BONDING3A
. NONE ONCE 3-5 6 +
.
TIMES SPANKED IN PREVIOUS SIX
MONTHS
*ADJUSTED FOR AGE, GENDER OF CHILD, AND SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS,
CP83 28
CP40A

SOME OTHER REASONS LONG TERM
EFFECTIVENESS OF CP IS LOW
* FROM SCHOOL AGE ON -- OUT OF SIGHT MOST OF THE TIME
* CHILDREN GET "TOO BIG" THEN WHAT?
* LESS OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN HOW TO GET NEEDS FILLED BY
EXPLAINING
NEGOTIATING
CREATIVE ALTERNATIVES
COMPROMISE
C:\My Documents\A2\CHARTS\CP\EFFECTIV\EFFECTIV 2D.doc
CP83 29

Question 5:
WHAT ARE
THE TRENDS
IN USE OF
CP?
CP83 30
(USA)

CP83 31

THE MOST
CHANGE HAS
BEEN IN
SWEDEN
CP83 32

UNITED NATIONS
SECOND WORLD SUMMIT ON CHILDREN
“All countries to adopt legislation, policies and
programmes to protect children from all forms of violence,
whether at home, in school or in the community”: and
“protect children from torture and other cruel, inhuman or
degrading treatment, including corporal punishment”.
CP83 33

HITTING CHILDREN BANNED IN THESE COUNTRIES
As of 2006
15 BY STATUTE
Austria
Bulgaria
Croatia
Cyprus
Denmark
Finland
Germany
Hungary
Iceland
Israel
Latvia
Norway
Romania
Sweden
Ukraine
BY HIGH COURT RULING:
Israel, Italy
Steps to implement
vary from almost none
to very extensive
CP83 34

QUESTION 6: WHAT THE WORLD MIGHT BE LIKE IF
ADULTS STOPPED SPANKING?
THE EXAMPLE OF SWEDEN
(Durrant, 1998)
• CP in schools banned in 1928;
• CP by parents banned in 1979 (but no criminal penalties)
VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN SINCE 1979 BAN
• Public approval of CP declined to near zero
• Use of CP declined sharply but continues
• Child physical abuse has not increased
(Child abuse deaths remain lowest in the world)
• Reports of CP increased as a result of intervention effort
YOUTH CRIME AND PROBLEMS SINCE 1979 BAN:
• Crime rates decreased
• Alcohol and drug use decreased
• Suicide decreased
• Reports of assault by youth increased – reflects redefinition of bullying as
assault and zero tolerance
CP83 35

THESE ARE ALL “RISK FACTORS,”
NOT ONE-TO-ONE LINKS
• A CONDITION WHICH INCREASES THE PROBABILITY OF A
DISEASE OR PROBLEM
• EXAMPLES:
– SMOKING AND DEATH FROM SMOKING RELATED DISEASE
(33% chance of death from a smoking related disease – which
means that 64% do not)
– FREQUENT SPANKING AND DELINQUENCY
(24% chance - 5 fold increase, but 76% do not become
delinquent)
– BINGE DRINKING AND WIFE BEATING
(19% chance - 3 fold increase, but 81% of binge drinkers do not
beat their wives)
CP83 36

Chart 5-4.1 Comparison of the Effect of Corporal Punishment
With Effects From Other Domains
Smoking and lung cancer
Media violence and
aggression
CP and cognitive
development*
Condom use and sexually
transmitted HIV
CP and adult criminal
behavior among men*
Passive smoking and lung
cancer at work
Exposure to lead and IQ
scores in children
Nicotine patch and
smoking cessation
Calcium intake and bone
mass
Homework and academic
achievement
Exposure to asbestos and
laryngeal cancer
Self-examination and
extent of breast cancer
0 0.1 0.2
Correlation
0.3 0.4
* Partial correlation. See Appendix 5 for explanation, Other effect sizes are from Bushman, B. J.,
& Anderson, C. A. (2001). Media violence and the American public: Scientific facts versus media
misinformation. American Psychologist, 56(6/7), 477-489.
CP83 37

WHY ENDING CP
CAN BE A MAJOR
BENEFIT FOR
CHILDREN AND
SOCIETY
CP83 38

QUESTION 6 AGAIN: WHAT WOULD THE WORLD
BE LIKE IF ADULTS STOPPED SPANKING?
FOR PARENTS
* LESS HASSLE
* LESS BETTER BEHAVED CHILDREN
FOR CHILDREN
* LESS RISK OF PHYSICAL ABUSE
* LESS DELINQUENCY
* ENHANCED MENTAL ABILITY AND SCHOOL ACHIEVEMENT
FOR THE NEXT GENERATION
* LESS “STREET VIOLENCE”
* LESS DEPRESSION AND SUICIDE
* LESS WIFE BEATING
* HIGHER ECONOMIC ACHIEVMENT
A LESS VIOLENT, HEALTHIER, WEALTHIER, AND WISER WORLD
CP83 39

END
CP83 40

A FEW REFERENCES
Giles-Sims, J., Straus, M. A., & Sugarman, D. B. (1995). Child, maternal and family
characteristics associated with spanking. Family Relations, 44(2), 170-176.
Greven, P. (1990). Spare the child: The religious roots of punishment and the
psychological impact of physical abuse. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.
Gershoff, E. T. (2002). Corporal punishment by parents and associated child behaviors
and experiences: A meta-analytic and theoretical review. Psychological Bulletin,
128(4), 539-579.
Simons, R. L., Lin, K.-H., & Gordon, L. C. (1998). Socialization in the Family of origin
and male dating violence: A prospective study. Journal of Marriage and the
Family, 60(2), 467-478.
Straus, M. A. (1995). Corporal punishment of children and depression and suicide in
adulthood. In J. McCord (Ed.), Coercion and Punishment in Long Term
Perspective. New York, New York: Cambridge University Press.
Straus, M. A. (2005). Children should never, ever, be spanked no matter what the
circumstances. In R. J. Gelles & D. R. Loseke (Eds.), Current Controversies
about Family Violence (2nd ed., pp. chapter 9). Thousand Oak, CA: Sage.
Straus, M. A. (2007 in press). The primordial violence: Corporal punishment by parents,
cognitive development, and crime. Walnut Creek, CA: Alta Mira Press.
Straus, M. A., Sugarman, D. B., & Giles-Sims, J. (1997). Spanking by parents and
subsequent antisocial behavior of children. Archives of pediatric and adolescent
medicine, 151(August), 761-767.
CP83 41

FOR EVIDENCE ON ALL
THESE POINTS AND
MANY OTHERS see
* This book
* Papers on my website
(1 st slide)
* References on last
slide
* ALSO Forthcoming
book
CP83 42

I. SPANKING -- THE VIRTUOUS
VIOLENCE
1. The Conspiracy of Silence
2. Everyone Does It, But Less Now
3. Hitting Adolescents
4. Who Spanks the Most?
II. THE PRICE OF VIRTUE
5. Depression and Suicide
6. Physical Abuse
7. Violence and Crime
8. The Fusion of Sex and Violence
9. Alienation and Reduced Income
Ill. THE FUTURE
10. Ten Myths that Perpetuate Corporal
Punishment
I I. Social Evolution and Corporal
Punishment
12. The Benefits of Never Spanking: New
and More Definitive Evidence
2 nd Edition, 2001
Transaction Publishers
390 Campus Drive
Somerset, NJ 08873
Toll free-US only 888-999-6778
or 732-445-1245
Fax. 732-748-9801
www.transactionpub.com
In UK and Europe:
Transaction Publishers (UK)
C/O EDS 3 Henrietta Street
Covent Garden
London WC2E 8LU
Tel. +44 (0)20 7 240 0856
Fax. +44 (0)20 7 379 0609
CP83 43

Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press, In Press 2007. www.altamirapress.com
THE PRIMORDIAL VIOLENCE:
CORPORAL PUNISHMENT BY PARENTS, COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT,
AND CRIME
Murray A. Straus and Rose A. Medeiros
University of New Hampshire murray.straus@unh.edu
Part I. SOCIAL CAUSES AND CONTEXT
1-1 Prevalence, Chronicity, And Severity of Corporal Punishmnt In The USA
1-2 Corporal Punishment In The Lives Of University Students In 16 Countries
1-3 There Was An Old Woman Who Lived In A Shoe – What Did She Do?
1-4 Violent Attitudes and Cultural Norms Underling Corporal Punishment
Part II. CHILD BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS
2-1 Spanking To Control Antisocial Behavior - The Boomerang Effect
2-2 The Effects of Impulsive Spanking and Never Spanking
2-3 Corporal Punishment, the Child-To-Mother Bond, And Delinquency
2-4 Corporal Punishment And Risky Sex
3-1
PART III. HUMAN CAPITAL
Slowing Of Cognitive Development
3-2 Lower Educational Achievement Test Scores
3-3 Reduced Chances of College Graduation
CP83 44

4-1
Part IV. ADULT VIOLENCE AND OTHER CRIME
Why Corporal Punishment Is Linked To Physically Assaulting A Spouse
4-2 Corporal Punishment and Crime in Ethnic Group Context
4-3 Corporal Punishment And Violence Against Dating Partners Worldwide
4-4 Spanking and Crime in Adulthood By High Risk Children
Chapter
THE PRIMORDIAL VIOLENCE (CONTINUED)
Part V. SOCIAL CHANGE AND TRENDS
5-1 The Decline in Public Support Of Spanking
5-2 Why Everyone Spanks Toddlers And What To Do About It
5-3 Corporal Punishment And Societal Violence
5-4 A World Without Spanking
CP83 45

WHY PAY ATTENTION TO SPANKING?
�MOST SPANKING IS DONE BY LOVING PARENTS TO CORRECT
AND TRAIN CHILDREN
�THE HARMFUL EFFECTS FOR AN INDIVIDUAL CHILD ARE SMALL
COMPARED TO THE EFFECTS OF PHYSICAL ABUSE
BUT
�IT VIOLATES THE RIGHTS OF CHILDREN AS DEFINED IN THE
UNITED NATIONS CHARTER ON CHILDREN’S RIGHTS
�A VERY LARGE PERCENTAGE OF CHILDREN ARE SPANKED
�CHILDREN ARE TYPICALLY HIT FOR MANY YEARS – IN THE USA,
ON AVERAGE UNTIL THEY ARE ABOUT 12 YEARS OLD, I.E. FOR
ABOUT 12 YEARS
�THE EFFECT ON THE WELFARE OF CHILDREN IS VERY LARGE –
GREATER THAN THE HARMFUL EFFECT OF PHYSICAL ABUSE
CP83 46

Percent Who Spanked in Past
Week
Average Number Of Times per Week
%
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
RELIGIOUS DIFFERENCES IN SPANKING CHILDREN 3-5
CATHOLIC
2.8 3.6 3.3 3.6
NONE
PROTESTANT
OTHER
Giles-Sims, Jean., Murray A. Straus, and David B. Sugarman. 1995. "Child, maternal and
CP83 47
family characteristics associated with spanking." Family Relations 44:170-176.
`

CHINESE CORPORAL PUNISHMENT RATES
Survey by the Guangdong Provincial Women's Federation
• 54% of university and middle-school students experienced corporal
punishment
• 80% of parents and teachers believe corporal punishment has
benefits
Survey by the University of Hong Kong (2003-04)
• 44% of parents had beaten their children to "straighten" them up.
Joy Lu “Spare the rod and spoil the child?” China Daily 05/27/2006 page 3 (downloaded from internet)
CP83 48

TWO CANADIAN STUDIES
ONTARIO HEALTH SURVEY 83% IN CHILDHOOD
RANDOM SAMPLE OF
PERSONS AGE 15-44
RANDOM SAMPLE OF TORONTO 75% IN PAST YEAR
MOTHERS WITH CHILD
AGE 3 TO 17 AT HOME
Lenton, Rhonda L. 1990. “Techniques of child discipline and abuse by parents.” Canadian
Review of Sociology & Anthropology 27:157-185.
MacMillan, Harriet L., Michael H. Boyle, Maria Y-Y. Wong, Eric K. Duku, Jan E. Fleming, and
Christine A. Walsh. 1999. “Slapping, spanking and lifetime psychiatric disorder in a
community sample of Ontario residents.” Canadian Medical Association Journal
161:805-809.
CP83 49
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CORPORAL PUNISHMENT IN TRIBAL
SOCIETIES
• 77% USED CP
NTHROPOLOGISTS REPORTS ON 186 SOCIETIES (BARRY,
T AL, 1980)
CP83 50
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HOW MUCH COULD ENDING CORPORAL PUNISHMENT REDUCE
CRIMINAL VICTIMIZATION?
A. JUVENILE VICTIMS
CORPORAL
PUNISHMENT
HIGH NONE CHANGE
REPEATEDLY AND SEVERELY ATTACKED BY A 40% 18% 55% LESS
SIBLING IN PREVIOUS 12 MONTHS (p.102)
NUMBER OF TIMES HIT BY CHILDREN 4.3 2.1 51% LESS
IN SCHOOL IN TWO WEEK PERIOD (MEAN)
(Strasbourg et al 1994)
JUVENILE DELINQUENCY IN PAST 12 MONTHS 15% 3% 80% LESS
(p.108)
B. ADULT VICTIMS
SPOUSES HIT IN PREVIOUS 12 MONTHS 25% 8% 68% LESS
(p.104)
PHYSICALLY ABUSED CHILDREN 24% 8% 67% LESS
12 MONTHS (i.e. went beyond legal
corporal punishment) (p.94)
CONVICTIONF FOR AN INDEX CRIME 33% 14% 58% LESS
Sons of non-criminal fathers. Cambride-Somerville
Youth Study (McCord, 1991)
CP83
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51

CP83 52

EFFECTIVENESS OF CORPORAL PUNISHMENT
COMPARED TO NON-CORPRAL DISCIPLINE
AVERAGE EFFECTIVNESS
TIME SPAN CORP PUN NON-CP
IMMEDIATE HIGH HIGH
SHORT TERM (HOURS, DAYS) LOW LOW
LONG TERM (MONTHS, YEARS) MAKES HIGH
WORSE
SIDE EFFECTS HARMFUL BENIFICAL
C:\My Documents\A2\CHARTS\CP\EFFECTIV\EFFECTIVE SUMMARY.DOC
CP83 53

The “terrible two’s”
CP83 54

%
PERCENT WHO USED CORPORAL
PUNISHEMNT ON CHILDREN IN PRIVATE AND
STATE SCHOOLS, CHILE (Vargas et al, 1995)
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Parent's report Child's report
Private State
CP83 55

NATION
& REF.
CANADA
MACMILLAN ET AL,
1999
CANADA
LENTON, 1990
ENGLAND
NEWSON &
NEWSON, 1963
ENGLAND
NOBES & SMITH,
1997
SWEDEN
STATTIN ET ALL,
1995
B. SOME OTHER COUNTRIES
SAMPLE
CHILD %
& N
AGE HIT TIME
ONTARIO
RECALL OF 84% EVER
RANDOM SAMPLE CHILDHOOD
TORONTO
RANDOM
SAMPLE
NOTTINGHAM
RANDOM SAMPLE
N=709
Age 3 - 17 75% YEAR
INFANTS
Age 4
N=99 Age 1 – 11
STOCKHOLM
BIRTH COHORT
1955-58
Age 4
Age 3
62%
97%
80%
52%
94%
YEAR
YEAR
YEAR
WEEK
YEAR
MEAN
TIMES
CP83 56
C:\My Documents\A2\CHARTS\CP\INTERNATIONAL\INTERNATIONAL RATES 2.doc
--
--
75% AT
LEAST
ONCE A
WEEK
33% AT
LEAST
DAILY

WHY LONG TERM EFFECTIVENESS IS LOW
* NOT AS EFFECTIVE IN DEVELOPING CONSCIENCE (NEXT SLIDE)
Need to be good if mommy or daddy are watching or will know, not on
basis of what is right and wrong
* UNDERCUTS BOND TO PARENT (NEXT SLIDE)
* FROM SCHOOL AGE ON -- OUT OF SIGHT MOST OF THE TIME
* CHILDREN GET "TOO BIG" THEN WHAT?
* LESS OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN HOW TO GET NEEDS FILLED BY
EXPLAINING
NEGOTIATING
CREATIVE ALTERNATIVES
COMPROMISE
C:\My Documents\A2\CHARTS\CP\EFFECTIV\EFFECTIV 2D.doc
CP83 57

Question 4. IS CP SOMETIMES NECESSARY TO HAVE WELL-
BEHAVED CHILDREN?
ANSWER DEPENDS ON HOW EFFECTIVE CP IS IN
CORRECTING MISBEHAVIOR
CP83 C:\My Documents\A2\CHARTS\CP\EFFECTIV\EFFECTIV 2A.doc
58