The use of spanking and physical punishment in parenting

• Autor(es):

  Weber, Lidia Natalia Dobrianskyj (Universidade Federal do Paraná);

  Viezzer, Ana Paula (Universidade Federal do Paraná);

  Brandenburg, Olivia Justen (Universidade Federal do Paraná).

• Fonte:

  Estudos de Psicologia (Natal); volume 9, número 2, páginas 227-237. Agosto 2004.

• Assuntos:

  physical punishment;

  parenting;

  violence against children.

• Resumo:

  The aim of this study was to identify parenting practices that included punitive interactions: physical punishment and nonphysical punishment. A 61-item survey was developed and given to 472 students (aged 8-16 years). Results of the survey showed that: the majority of the participants claimed that had received physical punishment (88,1%) and nonphysical punishment (64,8%); 86,1% was spanked by mothers, and 58,9% by fathers; 36,9% reported that they had been hurt when spanked; most of the students (64,7%) were hit on their buttocks; 62,3% was spanked with hands, but some objects as belt (43,0%) and slippers (42,3%) were also used. The evaluation made by the participants about physical punishment revealed a contradiction: while 75,2% agreed children must be spanked when they misbehave, only 34,5% said that they intend to spank their children in the future. Implications for the use of physical punishment were discussed.

• Acesse o texto completo (Português)