The relationship between attitudes toward corporal punishment and the perception and reporting of child maltreatment☆, ☆☆, ★

Abstract

Objective: This study examined the effect of workers’ attitudes toward corporal punishment on the workers’ perception and reporting of child maltreatment. Three hundred twenty-five (325) potential entry level workers participated in this study. Method: Responding to vignettes in multi-item scales, study participants 1) rated their approval of parental discipline involving corporal punishment; 2) rated the seriousness of incidents of probable maltreatment; and 3) indicated whether or not they would report the incidents of maltreatment to child protective services. Data were analyzed using correlation analyses and multiple regression procedures. Results: 1) Respondents with higher scores for approval of corporal punishment were less likely to perceive maltreatment; 2) respondents with higher scores for approval of corporal punishment were less likely to report maltreatment; 3) the likelihood that a respondent would report maltreatment was a joint function of the respondent’s perception of the seriousness of an incident and approval of corporal punishment. Conclusion: Attitudes about corporal punishment are important predictors of reporting behavior. Social service agencies face a challenge to provide workers with training which will enable them to detect and report maltreatment despite workers’ individual beliefs about discipline and punishment.