Abstract
Although child abuse is a social problem in the United States, many cases go unreported because there is not a consensus as to what disciplinary actions are deemed abusive. Thus, it is paramount to understand the demarcation between physical punishment and physical abuse among parents and their use of certain forms of discipline. This study examines how discipline experienced by adolescent respondents affects their choice of discipline practices in adulthood. A random sample of residents was selected from three South Carolina counties using the 2016 state voter registration list. Respondents were mailed a survey asking questions pertaining to their disciplinary practices and experiences. Analyses were conducted using the ordinary least squares regression. Those who experienced abusive discipline as a child were significantly less likely to report that they use the same discipline techniques as their parents. However, adding parenting traits into the model revealed a mediation effect. Abusive discipline no longer plays a significant role in how respondents discipline their own children once the perceived demeanor of their parent is taken into consideration. These findings suggest that disciplinary techniques are less important than a parent’s attitude when correcting their children’s behavior. Implications for the current research, limitations, and directions for future research are discussed.
Highlights
Child abuse is a major social problem in the United States, even though the U.S is one of the most advanced nations in the Western world
Model 1, the baseline model, shows that the control variables explain 12.6% of the variance in the model with only frequency of attending religious services and perceived closeness to the family attaining significance. Those who attend religious services more frequently and those who report being closer to their family are more likely to perceive that their own discipline practices are similar to or influenced by those of their parents
Understanding the factors that influence parents’ choice of discipline may shed light on the intricacies of child abuse and harsh parenting, including the impact one’s experience with discipline during childhood has on such choices in adulthood
Summary
Child abuse is a major social problem in the United States, even though the U.S is one of the most advanced nations in the Western world. In 2015, Child Protective Services (CPS) received four million referrals for alleged maltreatment of children and approximately 2.2 million of these referrals (4.1 million children) were screened by CPS and further action was deemed necessary In 2015, approximately 683,000 children were victims of abuse for a rate of 9.2 per 1000 children. These numbers reveal a 3.8% increase in child abuse since. The rate of physical abuse is 4.4 per 1000 children with children between the ages of six and eight having the highest rates of this form of abuse (Sedlak et al 2010). What is more alarming is that these numbers are high, they underreport child abuse (Rodriguez and Sutherland 1999). Some cases are not reported because many parents in the U.S do not see certain discipline techniques involving physical punishment as inappropriate or abusive
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