NCJ Number
215870
Journal
Child Abuse & Neglect Volume: 30 Issue: 8 Dated: August 2006 Pages: 893-907
Date Published
August 2006
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This study examined the parent-to-child corporal punishment and physical maltreatment rates and associated factors among Chinese families residing in Hong Kong.
Abstract
Results indicated that 57.5 percent of parents reported using corporal punishment and 4.5 percent reported physically maltreating their children. These rates of child maltreatment are similar for U.S. samples, indicating that levels of tolerance and acceptance of corporal punishment as a legitimate form of child discipline are similar for Chinese and American families. Other findings indicated that rates of parental corporal punishment were higher among boys aged 5 to 12 years but no gender differences were found among infants, toddlers, and adolescents. The authors suspect the greater physical abuse found among boys aged 5 to 12 years is tied to cultural expectations of the male’s role in society. Younger parents were more likely than older parents to use corporal punishment as a discipline strategy, as were parents experiencing marital dissatisfaction. Children’s externalizing behavior problems were identified as the most significant factor influencing parental corporal punishment and physical maltreatment. Data were gathered as part of a large-scale 1998 household survey on parent-child relationships in Hong Kong Chinese families with parents aged 20 years or older. Interviews were conducted face-to-face in the family home with 1,662 parents (542 fathers and 1,120 mothers) and focused on parental physical aggression, reasons and consequences of parental physical aggression, marital satisfaction, social support, child behaviors, and demographic background. Data analysis involved the use of descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses. Future studies should attempt to interview both parents and to seek external validation of child maltreatment. Tables, figures, references