Spanking or arrest: Caregiver perceptions of the No Hit Zone policy and poster in pediatric clinics

Abstract

No Hit Zones (NHZs) represent a policy to prevent corporal punishment (CP) and designate specific spaces where hitting is not permitted, including a caregiver spanking a child. For the current study, the aims were to utilize focus groups to 1) understand caregivers’ perceptions of the NHZ policy, and 2) explore the impressions of the NHZ poster. This study is the first to qualitatively examine caregivers’ perspective of NHZs in pediatric medical settings. We conducted seven focus groups with caregivers in upstate South Carolina (n = 47). The themes were policy support through understanding the importance of trauma-informed care; a multitude of policy concerns, like the perspective that CP prevents incarceration and death, caregiver rights and the Bible’s authority, children manipulating the policy, and barriers to NHZ implementation; and recommendations for health communication improvements. This study provides guidance in “areas to address” to gain caregiver support.