MORE HARM THAN GOOD: A SUMMARY OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON THE INTENDED AND UNINTENDED EFFECTS OF CORPORAL PUNISHMENT ON CHILDREN.

The relationship between three types of child maltreatment, including physical abuse, emotional abuse and neglect, and childhood behavior problems in Mainland China, has not been systematically examined. This meta-analysis reviewed findings from 42 studies conducted in 98,749 children in Mainland China and analyzed the pooled effect sizes of the associations between child maltreatment and childhood behavior problems, heterogeneity in study findings, and publication bias. In addition, this study explored cross-study similarities/differences by comparing the pooled estimates with findings from five existing meta-analyses. Equivalent small-to-moderate effect sizes emerged in the relationships between the three types of maltreatment and child externalizing and internalizing behaviors, except that emotional abuse related more to internalizing than externalizing behaviors. Considerable heterogeneity exists among the 42 studies. Weak evidence suggests that child gender and reporter of emotional abuse may moderate the strengths of the relationships between child maltreatment and behavior problems. No indication of publication bias emerged. Cross-study comparisons show that the pooled effect sizes in this meta-analysis are about equal to those reported in the five meta-analyses conducted in child and adult populations across the world. Findings urge relevant agencies in Mainland China to build an effective child protection system to prevent child maltreatment.

The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of the Play Nicely brief intervention in diminishing both the utilization of physical punishment and the beliefs that endorse such behavior among a sample of Colombian parents with children aged 2 to 6. Utilizing a quasi-experimental design, the research included pretest and posttest evaluations and involved both an intervention group (n = 37) and a control group (n = 29). The assessment tools used were a scale to measure beliefs about the positive impacts of physical punishment and the Physical Assault subscale of the Spanish version of the Conflict Tactics Scale Parent-Child (CTSPC). Parents participated in a single online session, which offered eight interactive options and lasted 10 min. The results highlighted a high prevalence of physical punishment within the sample (81.8%) and established statistically significant correlations between the justification of physical punishment and its actual use. Approximately one month following the intervention, there was a significant reduction in the employment of physical punishment among the intervention group (p = 0.009), and a notable decrease in the belief that "Punishment is the best alternative to control children's behavior" (p = 0.010) was observed. Consequently, the Play Nicely intervention proved effective in curtailing the use of physical punishment among parents of young children, demonstrating both efficacy and cost-effectiveness within a brief timeframe.

Child physical abuse is an issue of global concern. Conservative estimates set global prevalence of this type of maltreatment at 25%, its consequences and cost to society escalating with increasing frequency and severity of episodes. Syntheses of the evidence on parenting programs for reducing rates of physical abuse recidivism have, to date, not been able to establish effectiveness. Paucity of data and inconsistent inclusion criteria in past reviews made meta-analysis often impossible or uninformative. The current systematic review updates prior reviews and overcomes some of the methodological issues they encountered by pooling trial-level data from a well-defined scope of trials of parenting interventions aimed at preventing the re-abuse of children by parents with substantiated or suspected physical abuse history. Randomized controlled trials and rigorous non-randomized designs were sought via nine online databases, two trial registries, several clearinghouses and contact with experts. A total of fourteen studies of variable quality were included in this review, four of which had outcomes that enabled meta-analysis. Overall, this review presents evidence supporting the effectiveness of parenting behavioral programs based on social learning theory for reducing hard markers of child physical abuse recidivism. Meta-analysis found that the absolute risk reduction in risk of recidivism was 11 percentage points less for maltreating parents who undergo parenting programs (RD = −0.11, 95% CI [−0.22, −0.004], p = 0.043, I2 = 28.9%). However, the pooled effect size was not statistically significant when calculated as a risk ratio (0.76, 95% CI [0.54, 1.07], I2 = 38.4%). Policy makers and practitioners should be made aware that this intervention method is backed by promising evidence featuring modest yet significant reductions in hard markers of child physical abuse, even though the methodological robustness of these findings should be further explored in future research.

African American Mothers' Self-Described Discipline Strategies With Young Children in 1992 and 2012

In last month's CABL, our managing editor Alison Knopf reviewed the most recent American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) statement about spanking/corporal punishment. Notably, there are no benefits associated with corporal punishment, and many disadvantages. These include negative effects on the parent‐child relationship, increased aggression in children, increased risk of mental health disorders, and cognitive problems. Further, in families that are already experiencing stress, these risks are increased. As professionals working with children, we know this in a way that we know few other things about child rearing. And yet, most American parents (65%) still spank their children. Some research even suggests that for parents that utilize corporal punishment, they probably do it more often than they report to therapists.

The current investigation evaluated whether cognitive processes characteristic of the Social Information Processing model predicted parent-child aggression (PCA) risk independent of personal vulnerabilities and resiliencies. This study utilized a multimethod approach, including analog tasks, with a diverse sample of 203 primiparous expectant mothers and 151 of their partners. Factors considered in this study included PCA approval attitudes, empathy, reactivity, negative child attributions, compliance expectations, and knowledge of non-physical discipline alternatives; additionally, vulnerabilities included psychopathology symptoms, domestic violence victimization, and substance use, whereas resiliencies included perceived social support, partner relationship satisfaction, and coping efficacy. For both mothers and fathers, findings supported the role of greater approval of PCA attitudes, lower empathy, more overreactivity, more negative attributions, and higher compliance expectations in relation to elevated risk of PCA. Moreover, personal vulnerabilities and resiliencies related to PCA risk for mothers; however, fathers and mothers differed on the nature of these relationships with respect to vulnerabilities as well as aspects of empathy and PCA approval attitudes. Findings provide evidence for commonalities in many of the factors investigated between mothers and fathers with some notable distinctions. Results are discussed in terms of how findings could inform prevention programs.

Applying Socio-Emotional Information Processing theory to explain child abuse risk: Emerging patterns from the COVID-19 pandemic

Childrearing practices in the Caribbean and other postcolonial states have long been associated with corporal punishment and are influenced by expectations of children for respectfulness and obedience. Evidence across settings shows that physical punishment of young children is both ineffective and detrimental. Saving Brains Grenada (SBG) implemented a pilot study of an intervention based on the Conscious Discipline curriculum that aimed to build adult caregivers' skills around non-violent child discipline. We hypothesized that attitudes towards corporal punishment would shift to be negative as adults learned more positive discipline methods, and that child neurodevelopment would correspondingly improve. This report reviews the impact of monitoring and evaluation on the design and implementation of the intervention. Study 1 presents findings from the pilot study. Despite positive gains in neurodevelopmental outcomes among children in the intervention compared to controls, attitudes towards corporal punishment and reported use of it did not change. Additionally, several internal conflicts in the measures used to assess corporal punishment behaviors and attitudes were identified. Study 2 is a response to learning from Study 1 and highlights the importance for monitoring and evaluation to be data-informed, adaptive, and culturally appropriate. In Study 2, the SBG research team conducted cognitive interviews and group discussions with stakeholders to assess the content and comprehensibility of the Attitudes Towards Corporal Punishment Scale (ACP). This yielded insights into the measurement of attitudes towards corporal punishment and related parenting behavior, and prompted several revisions to the ACP. To accurately evaluate the intervention's theory of change and its goal to reduce violence against children, reliable and appropriate measures of attitudes towards corporal punishment and punishment behaviors are needed. Together, these two studies emphasize the value of continuous monitoring, evaluation, and learning in the implementation, adaptation, evaluation, and scaling of SBG and similar early childhood development interventions.

Corporal punishment, defined as the application of physical pain (e.g., spanking, slapping, or grabbing) to decrease a child’s undesirable behavior, is associated with negative mental health outcomes. Clients may present to mental health counselors with concerns that stem from their experience of corporal punishment. Mental health counselors work to prevent deleterious consequences of corporal punishment through the provision of psychoeducation on effective parenting strategies. Given that young adults are the largest group of prospective parents in the United States, the present investigators examined attitudes about the utility of corporal punishment as a disciplinary strategy among young adults who do not have children. Results revealed differences in the rates of endorsement of corporal punishment as a disciplinary strategy by gender and ethnicity. Higher rates were found among young adults who identified as male and those who identified as White relative to those who identified as female and those who identified as Latinx, respectively. These findings have a number of implications for challenging stereotypes (e.g., that Latinx clients endorse corporal punishment at higher rates than clients who identify as White) and enhancing mental health counselors’ prevention efforts (e.g., targeting attitudes about corporal punishment among those likely to become parents).

This case report reviews the psychiatric difficulties of a 27-year-old female patient from Botswana with symptoms fitting for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), cluster B personality traits, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Her case illustrates how corporal punishment, an accepted practice in Botswana, remains in stark contrast to the standards of American society and the psychological consequences that may emerge from such practices. The patient presented with mood instability, anxiety, and recurrent depressive episodes, which were worsened by poor coping mechanisms including binge drinking and emotional dissociation. The patient's interviews confirmed the presence of PTSD, ADHD, and personality disorder per diagnostic criteria in the DSM-5. She was treated with lamotrigine and Adderall XR, with trauma-informed group therapy and psychoeducation about cultural perceptions of abuse. The patient showed improvement in emotional regulation and investment in the treatment; however, she continued to have difficulties with sleep hygiene and alcohol consumption. This case underlines the importance of culturally sensitive psychiatric care and emphasizes that osteopathic practitioners should further work within the framework of the trauma-informed approach with consideration of cultural influence when managing patients, especially those of migrant backgrounds.