NCJ Number
176814
Date Published
1996
Length
15 pages
Annotation
Corporal punishment of children by parents, such as spanking and slapping, has been an almost universal part of the experience of American children, and normative support for corporal punishment goes beyond mere permission to hit children in that it is frequently viewed as a morally correct action.
Abstract
Surveys of attitudes toward corporal punishment have been conducted since the late 1960s, and all have found very high rates of approval. Although studies of corporal punishment cannot be compared to determine trends in cultural norms, evidence indicates the actual use of corporal punishment is decreasing. The authors collected and analyzed data from several surveys to identify trends in the approval of corporal punishment by parents between 1968 and 1994. Statistical analysis of data revealed approval of corporal punishment significantly decreased from 94 percent in 1968 to 68 percent in 1994. More men than women approved of corporal punishment, and the region with the largest percentage approving corporal punishment was the South. No significant relationship was found between income and approval of corporal punishment, and all age groups followed a similar downward trend in approval between 1968 and 1994. In addition, all educational groups decreased in approval of corporal punishment over the study period, but the highest education group decreased at a faster rate. Policy implications of the research findings on corporal punishment are discussed. 18 references, 1 note, 1 table, and 4 figures