Citation

Perrin R, Miller-Perrin C, Bayston L, Song J. Int. J. Child Maltreat. 2023; 6(1): 13-33.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s42448-022-00140-x

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Empirical research suggests that physical punishment of children is ineffective and potentially harmful. However, in the USA, unlike most other Western democracies, physical punishment remains normative. This pattern is especially prominent among conservative Christians. Likewise, among Christian Korean immigrants, physical punishment is normative. The current study examined an intervention to change pro-spanking attitudes among a sample of 60 Korean adults (57% female; 43% male; Mage = 32.35) attending a theologically conservative Protestant church. Participants completed the attitudes toward spanking (ATS) scale and two measures of religious fundamentalism 4 weeks before the intervention. The intervention, which was created by the authors, focused on empirical research demonstrating the ineffectiveness and potential harm associated with spanking, along with progressive theological interpretations of Biblical teachings related to child discipline and spanking. Following the intervention, participants completed the ATS a second time. We hypothesized that the intervention would result in significant attitude change from pre- to post-intervention for both parents (n = 23) and non-parents (n = 37). Repeated measures ANOVA for ATS scores indicated a significant main effect for time (Mpre = 39.64, Mpost = 29.32), indicating that ATS scores decreased over time for both parents and non-parents. Time × parent status interaction was observed. Our findings indicated that positive attitudes toward physical punishment did indeed decline post-intervention, providing further evidence that pro-corporal punishment attitudes among conservative Christians are malleable when Christians are presented with progressive interpretations of Biblical scriptures sometimes used to justify corporal punishment, along with evidence on the ineffectiveness and potential harm of physical punishment (Miller-Perrin & Perrin, hild Abuse & Neglect, 71, 69-79, 2017; Perrin, Miller-Perrin, & Song, Child Abuse & Neglect, 71, 69-79, 2017).

Language: en

Keywords

Conservative Protestants; Corporal punishment; Korean Americans; Physical punishment; Spanking