NCJ Number
244292
Journal
Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 42 Issue: 8 Dated: August 2013 Pages: 1273-1285
Date Published
August 2013
Length
13 pages
Annotation
Corporal punishment is a controversial practice used by the majority of American parents and is especially prevalent among African-Americans.
Abstract
Corporal punishment is a controversial practice used by the majority of American parents and is especially prevalent among African-Americans. Research regarding its consequences has produced mixed results although it is clear that there is a need for considering the context within which corporal punishment is administered. To assess the impact of spanking, the authors employed an expanded parenting typology that includes corporal punishment. Longitudinal self-report data from a sample of 683 African-American youth (54 percent female) were utilized to evaluate the relative impact of the resulting 8 parenting styles on 3 outcomes: conduct problems, depressive symptoms, and school engagement. Results from Negative Binomial Regression Models indicate that the effect of corporal punishment depends upon the constellation of parenting behaviors within which it is embedded and upon the type of outcome being considered. While it is never the case that there is any added benefit of adding corporal punishment, it is also the case that using corporal punishment is not always associated with poor outcomes. Overall, however, the findings show that parenting styles that include corporal punishment do not produce outcomes as positive as those associated with authoritative parenting. Abstract published by arrangement with Springer.