We Must Stop Hitting Children! Part 6 -- Hitting Is Used for a Variety of Reasons

Research has found that parents are more likely to use physical punishment if:

They strongly favor it and believe in its effectiveness.

They were themselves physically punished as children.

They have a cultural background, namely their religion, their ethnicity, and/or their country of origin, that they perceive approves of the use of physical punishment.

They are socially disadvantaged, in that they have low income, low education, or live in a disadvantaged neighborhood.

They are experiencing stress (such as that precipitated by financial hardships or marital conflict), mental health symptoms, or diminished emotional well-being.

They report being frustrated or aggravated with their children on a regular basis.

They are under 30 years of age.

The child being punished is a preschooler (2-5 years old).

The child's misbehavior involves hurting someone else or putting themselves in danger.

Any surprises here?

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The NEW Confident Parenting is a book that discusses all of the issues surrounding the use of physical punishment and offers an entire program for raising children without ever having to use physical punishment.