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Abstract
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Community college students (N=170) were surveyed regarding the intensity and frequency of methods of corporal punishment they have received and the persons administering the punishment.
RESULTS indicate that corporal punishment is a normatively used method of behavioral management. Males reported receiving a greater amount of corporal punishment, especially from their fathers. Overall, those who received a high amount of corporal punishment reported lower grades and a significantly greater number of problems, such as aggression, delinquency, depression, and anxiety. These findings are cause for concern and intervention. VioLit summary:
OBJECTIVE:
The purpose of this article by Bryan and Freed was to examine the nature and extent of corporal punishment, discover who administered the punishment, and determine the sociological and psychological correlates of this method of punishment.
METHODOLOGY:
This study employed a quasi-experimental design using a non-probability sample of 170 community college students. This sample included students between the ages of 18 to 53 years. Eighty-four percent were between the ages of 18 to 23. Seventy-eight percent were female, 90% were single, with 48% reporting they were Irish, 22% Anglo, 15% Italian, 72% Catholic, and 21% Protestant. The median annual combined income for this group was $20,000. The author utilized Gelles (1978) definition of violence: "an act carried out with the intention of, or perceived intention of physically injuring another person" (p.78). Psychological abuse was only included when it fell into a category of child management. The students were give questionnaires which asked information concerning demographics, physical health, and students' grades. Fifteen other specific questions were asked which pertained to social and psychological problems. The students were asked to recall the discipline their parents had used including the methods, intensity, frequency, and type of punishment. They were also asked who had carried out the punishment, their mother or father. The students were then asked to rate 12 methods of discipline used on them and others during their lifetime. The methods included: reasoning, withdrawal of love, making amends, withdrawal of privileges, extra chores, verbal abuse, mild corporal punishment (light smacks, slaps, spanks), moderate corporal punishment (hard smacks, slaps, spanks, pulling hair), severe corporal punishment (whipping, punching, slamming against the wall, tying up), destroying the child's property, calling a law enforcement official, and expelling the child from the home or school. Care was taken not to sensitize the subjects to viewing corporal punishment as pathological. The students took these questionnaires during class time. The response rate was 100%. The data was divided into three groups: low corporal punishment (CP), medium CP, and high CP. In order to support the reliability of the questionnaire, cross-checking was conducted. The results indicated a significant correlation between intensity and frequency scores for the CP methods, with the intensity and frequency scores of the persons who did the hitting. Analysis used in this study included chi-square, ANOVAs, and the comparisons of the Group and Method means by the Newman-Keuls test.
FINDINGS/DISCUSSION:
This study revealed that corporal punishment was widely experienced by those surveyed. Ninety five percent of the students surveyed reported having received this form of punishment at some point in their lives. These findings were considered significant especially when considering that self-reporting measurements often underreport negative behavior. When comparing the results of this study with a national cross-sectional survey of parental responses, parents reported a lower use of CP (71%). This study indicated that males received more punishment than females which was consistent with past studies. It was also found that males were more often hit by their father. Interestingly, if a student reported abuse at home, they were more likely to report abuse from school educators as well. The environmental stress theories of abuse were demonstrated with the high CP groups displaying lower median incomes. The authors suggested that even though the groups were similar in social class, other forces such as difficulty with interpersonal skills may have accounted for the lower median income in the high CP group. Students who reported high levels of corporal punishment, believed that their grades were lower than they actually were. These students also reported more negative social interactions, and more psychological depression and anxiety. This finding is consistent with the view that corporal punishment has long lasting consequences on behavioral and psychological adjustments. The authors referred to several other studies. One study explored the modeling and imitation of violence by children (Bandura et al., 1963). Another study revealed that the more a women was struck by her parents as a child, the more likely she would remain with an abusive husband. A third study reported that a positive correlation between observing, receiving, and committing violence as a child, followed a future response of approving and favoring the use of violence as an adult. The authors suggested that those parents who utilized reasoning, discussion, and compromise relied less on corporal punishment as a method for controlling the behavior of their children. AUTHORS' RECOMMENDATIONS:
The authors recommended more examination into the long-term behavioral and psychological effects from corporal punishment and physical abuse. They felt it was important to continue to gather reports from the victims of corporal punishment, rather than focusing on the parents. Also noted was the need for more information on who actually carries out the punishment. (CSPV Abstract - Copyright © 1992-2007 by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Institute of Behavioral Science, Regents of the University of Colorado)
KW - College Student Research
KW - Childhood Victimization
KW - Adult Survivor
KW - Psychological Victimization Effects
KW - Physical Punishment
KW - Parental Discipline
KW - Child Abuse Victim
KW - Child Abuse Effects
KW - Domestic Violence Effects
KW - Domestic Violence Victim
KW - Corporal Punishment Effects
KW - Corporal Punishment of Child
Language: en |