Corporal Punishment of Children 1

Spanking and Corporal Punishment of Children

Exercise #1

Spanking and Corporal Punishment of Children

Alexander Dukes

SOWK 300

Tuskegee University

September 14, 2010

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References

Erlanger, H. (1974). Social Class and Corporal Punishment in Childrearing: A Reassessment. American

Sociological Review, 39(1), 68-85. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2094277

This study focuses on adult respondents regarding corporal punishment in their lives. The

article's study asked respondents several questions regarding their background and corporal

punishment. The study found that religion had the greatest effect on whether or not a person was

spanked or not. Baptists seemed to be spanked more than other denominations. Also, the study

presented several situations in which a child may be spanked, and asked respondents whether

spanking would be appropriate. Among these results, it was found that poorly educated whites

did not tend to spank their kids very often. However, the result was different for blacks. The

more educated the African American parent, the less likely they were to spank.

Giles-Sims, J., Straus, M., & Sugarman, D. (1995). Child, Maternal, and Family Characteristics

Associated with Spanking. Family Relations, 44(2), 170-176. Retrieved from

http://www.jstor.org/stable/584804

This article examines the types of families that typically engage in the spanking of children.

Through surveys conducted at Ohio State University of women that began in the year 1979 and

ended in the year 1986, the article finds that African American women, or women who are

single or women who are poor are more likely to spank their children. The article hypothesizes

that this is because these women are under more stress than their more racially accepted or

married or wealthier counterparts. However, the article also finds that there is a lack of

definition of what exactly 'spanking' is. It suggests the use of the term 'corporal punishment'

instead of spanking.
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Holden, G., Miller, P., & Harris, S. (1999). The Instrumental Side of Corporal Punishment: Parents'

Reported Practices and Outcome Expectancies. Journal of Marriage and Family, 61(4), 908-

919. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/354012

This article has to do with the question: "why do parents spank their children and what are the

expected results they expect to see from such punishment?" The method by which the authors

attempted to answer this question was via two surveys of American parents. The studies were

based on questions regarding the immediate effects of spanking, the long term effects, and the

parents feelings about spanking. The study found that the parents that spanked often thought

that it had more immediate effects and positive long term effects.The never spank group felt

guilty about spanking when they preformed it on their children and it would undermine their

relationship with their child. Interestingly, the study found mothers and fathers generally spank

about the same amount.

Rodriguez, C. (2003). Parental Discipline and Abuse Potential Affects on Child Depression, Anxiety, a

nd Attributions. Journal of Marriage and Family, 65(4), 809-817. Retrieved from

http://www.jstor.org/stable/3599892

This article explores the potential effects of parental discipline upon the psychology of children.

A study was conducted by telephone by the family being studied with parents and kids

answering the questions. The study within the article essentially finds that the children of

parents that are considered more aggressive tend to show more signs of depression and

anxiety. In the end the author call for more research into the psychological effects of

corporal punishment on minors. The researcher who conducted the sudy is aware of likely

aware of its limitations and this likely prompts the call for more investigation.

Rohner, R., Bourque, S., & Elordi, C. (1996). Children's Perceptions of Corporal Punishment,
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Caretaker Acceptance, and Psychological. Journal of Marriage and Family, 58(4), 842-852.

Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/353974

This article has to do with children's views regarding spanking perpetrated by the people that

take care of them. The study for the article was conducted in a poor southern town with black

and white residents. Youth in the study answered a questionnaire with questions centered around

the amount of acceptance or rejection they received at home, the amount of spanking they

received,their perceptions regarding spanking and a personality question set. The study found

that the majority of kids felt accepted at home in the county. It also showed that kids who have

not psychologically adjusted to a new home perceive a greater perception of rejection by the

their parents. The study says this correlation to rejection is greater than that of corporal

punishment to rejection.