FR 7-8

June 2007

Abstract

Effect of Physical Punishment and Alternative Disciplinary Tactics on Child Noncompliance and Antisocial Behavior

Prepared by:

Ketevan Danelia, M.A., Grad. Assistant Robert Larzelere, Ph.D., Associate Professor

Human Development & Family Science Dept. Human Development & Family Science Dept.

Oklahoma State University Oklahoma State University

304 PIO 233 HES

Stillwater, OK 74078 Stillwater, OK 74078

405-722-2065 405-744-2053

ketevan.danelia@okstate.edu robert.larzelere@okstate.edu

Larzelere, R. E., & Kuhn, B. R. (2005). Comparing child outcomes of physical punishment and alternative disciplinary tactics: A meta-analysis. Clinical Child and Psychology Review, 8, 1-37.

Implications for Cooperative Extension. Discipline and punishment are challenging issues for most parents and common topics in many parent education programs. Yet, published research, popular information, and parents’ own beliefs may be contradictory especially considering the effectiveness of various disciplinary methods including spanking. In turn, questions about these issues can be difficult for Extension Educators to address. To resolve polarized viewpoints about physical discipline, this scientific review compared child outcomes of physical punishment vs. alternative disciplinary tactics that parents could use instead. The results varied by type of physical punishment (see abstract). Parent education trains parents in skills designed to reduce the need to resort to physical discipline. If attendees insist on using physical discipline, this review suggests that they should be encouraged to limit their spanking to the conditional type, which is defined as nonabusive spanking (2 open-handed swats to the buttocks) when 2-to 6-year-olds respond defiantly to milder disciplinary tactics such as time out or privilege removal. Conditional spanking also increases subsequent cooperation with milder disciplinary tactics, rendering spanking less necessary in the future.

Overview

Physical discipline has a long tradition but is controversial among researchers, family professionals, and the general public. There are two major scientific perspectives: unconditional anti spanking and conditional spanking. Anti-spanking advocates have banned all physical punishment by parents to some extent in 18 countries (EPOCH Worldwide, 2007). The conditional-spanking perspective tries to identify conditions under which spanking may be beneficial or at least not harmful for children (Benjet & Kazdin, 2003). This review considered all studies in the two leading reviews from the two perspectives and selected all studies that compared outcomes of physical punishment directly with alternative tactics that parents could use instead.

Types of physical punishments

The following types of physical punishments were distinguished in order to compare them with alternative disciplinary tactics:

1. Conditional spanking is nonabusive, used when a child responds defiantly to milder disciplinary tactics such as time-out (based on research on 2-to 6-year-olds).

2. Customary physical punishment was defined as typical parental use (e.g., frequency of use), without emphasizing its severity or predominance.

3. Overly severe physical punishment was based on measures that emphasized its severity, e.g. hitting with an object, slapping the face, shaking, or other types of severe hitting.

4. Predominant use of physical punishment indicated that it was the parents’ primary disciplinary method.

Method

Literature Selection. Research studies were selected from recent reviews by Gershoff (2002) and Larzelere (2000). Both reviews attempted to find all relevant studies for the previous 39 to 60 years. This new review included only studies from those previous reviews if (1) the study investigated one or more recommended alternative disciplinary tactics as well as physical punishment; (2) the children were less than 13 years old at the time of the discipline; and (3) the study investigated at least one child outcome.

Alternative Disciplinary Tactics. Alternative disciplinary tactics used in at least one study included reasoning, scolding, nonphysical punishment, verbal prohibition, threats or verbal power assertion, privilege removal, time out, reasoning with nonphysical punishment, ignoring, love withdrawal, restraint, and isolation.

Child Outcomes. This review grouped child outcomes into four categories: (1) compliance; (2) antisocial behavior; (3) conscience or resistance to temptation; and (4) positive behaviors, competencies, or emotions.

Results

The findings depended on the type of physical punishment. Conditional spanking reduced antisocial behavior or noncompliance more than 10 of 13 alternative tactics. The outcomes of customary physical punishment were similar to alternative tactics, except for one large study favoring physical punishment. Only overly severe or predominant use of physical punishment compared unfavorably with alternative disciplinary tactics. No type of physical punishment enhanced positive outcomes more than alternatives. In comparisons with physical punishment, reasoning was more effective than nonphysical punishment for enhancing positive child characteristics, but nonphysical punishment was better than reasoning for reducing misbehavior. Neither was more effective than conditional or customary physical punishment.

Implications for Parental Discipline in General

This review has implications for how parents should balance love and limits, whether spanking is used or not.

The two major scientific perspectives on parental discipline make contradictory recommendations about reasoning vs. punishment. Most child development textbooks recommend disciplinary reasoning and advice against most forms of punishment. In contrast, clinical behavioral psychologists teach nonphysical punishment (e.g., time out) as a core disciplinary skill and discourage verbal discipline except to clarify instructions and contingencies.

The literature review helps reconcile these contradictory recommendations. Although neither reasoning nor nonphysical punishment was as effective as conditional spanking for all outcomes, each one had outcomes equivalent to conditional spanking for some outcomes. Reasoning was preferable for enhancing positive child characteristics, whereas nonphysical punishment was better than reasoning for reducing noncompliance and antisocial behavior. Both reasoning and nonphysical punishment are optimal disciplinary methods sometimes; but neither is best all the time. Combining reasoning with nonphysical punishment is especially effective. It was one of the three alternative disciplinary tactics that produced outcomes equivalent to conditional spanking in this review.

Pulling all of this together, parent education programs should help parents improve the full range of disciplinary skills. Helping parents to prevent misbehavior and encourage appropriate behavior will reduce discipline problems. Effective verbal correction will reduce the need for punishment of any kind. Skillful use of nonphysical punishment will reduce the need for physical punishment. Training parents in a full range of disciplinary skills is more effective than simply prohibiting traditional last-resort tactics, such as spanking. Verbal disciplinary reasoning should be preferred, but nonphysical punishments such as privilege removal and time out can be effective when talking is insufficient for adequate cooperation or a compromise. Only when children respond defiantly to nonphysical punishment should nonabusive spanking be considered (mostly with 2 to 6 years old). Non-spankers need effective alternative back-up methods when their children are defiant.

All parent education programs emphasize some important parenting skills. Better skills in each aspect of parental discipline improve the whole disciplinary process Parental discipline is a complex process requiring the best of all perspectives, including the best of traditional strategies as well as more modern strategies.