Spanking Isn’t Necessary: Key Influences on Parental Decision Making about Corporal Punishment

Abstract

Fifty years of research has revealed significant harms from the use of corporal punishment. Despite this, corporal punishment remains a cultural norm in the United States. Previous research has revealed the importance of parental attitudes and sources of advice, but little research asks parents directly about their discipline decisions. This study finds that parents use corporal punishment when they believe that 1) Spanking is sometimes necessary and 2) It is okay to slap an arm or a face instead of spanking and when they do not believe that using an object to spank is okay. Parents are less likely to use corporal punishment when a doctor has spoken with them about the harms of corporal punishment and if they were not spanked as children. Finally, an open-ended questioning format elucidated a connection between corporal punishment use and fear and anger on the parents’ part. Removing corporal punishment from cultural norm status will require harnessing the power of healthcare professionals and targeting the emotional responses and harmful attitudes that lead to violent punishment of children.