Parenting | Elinor Lim

Nearly half the parents surveyed had used at least one type of physical discipline in the past year. Of the parents who had done so frequently, 54% perceived physical punishment to be ineffective and 60% perceived it to be unacceptable.
Parents’ reported discipline practices could be sorted into 3 groups, ranging from harshest (high levels of physical, psychological, and non-violent discipline) to least harsh (lower levels of physical and psychological discipline and high level of non-violent discipline).
Most of the parents had experienced physical punishment in their own childhood. Those who had, also thought it was more effective, acceptable, and necessary, and were more likely to be harsher disciplinarians.
Parents who held more favourable attitudes towards physical punishment and who perceived it to be more normative were more likely to be harsher disciplinarians.