Social change and the trends in approval of corporal punishment by parents from 1968 to 1994.
Date
1996
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Walter deGruyter
Abstract
Corporal punishment of children by parents, such as spanking and slapping, has been an almost universal part of the childhood experience of American children. Research up to about 1980 shows that more than 90% of parents used corporal punishment on toddlers, and just over half continued this into the early teen years. Since then the rate has decreased, but it is still extremely high. When a behavior is this prevalent, there is likely to be a set of social norms that encourage or at least legitimate it. Correspondingly, if structural changes in the society bring about a change in the behavior, cultural norms are likely to be recast to reflect and justify the new reality, as happened, for example, in the case of paid employment of middle-class mothers. Regardless of which occurs first, and despite many exceptions, over time, cultural norms and actual behavior tend toward consistency. This study examined surveys over time to determine trends in the prevalence and acceptance of corporal behavior, documenting a decline in the practice. The authors consider the possible explanations and recommend legislation and policy to continue reducing the practice. (NCAC supplemented abstract)
Description
item.page.type
Book chapter
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Keywords
child abuse, physical abuse, incidence, prevalence, research
Citation
Straus, M. A., & Mathur, A. K. (1996). Social change and the trends in approval of corporal punishment by parents from 1968 to 1994. In: D. Frehsee, W. Horn, & K.-D. Bussmann, eds., Family Violence Against Children: A Challenge for Society (pp. 91-105). NY: Walter deGruyter.