Acta Patdiatr 81: 441-2. 1992
SHORT COMMUNICATION
Parental attitudes towards discipline Rob McClure and Imti Choonara lnsiiiute of Child Health. Royal Liverpool Children’s Hospital Alder Hey, Eaton Road, Liverpool L12 ZAP. UK
Smacking usually started between the ages of 12 and 24 months although 15 children in total were smacked before the age of 12 months. Most parents felt that smacking was appropriate but over 25% felt they should not have smacked the child. A similar number felt that smacking would not improve the child’s behaviour. - Very few parents (4%) would allow the babysitter to smack the child. More would, however, allow grandparents (39-50%) or teachers (23-25%) to smack their child. Six parents (five in Liverpool and one in Wales) used an object when hitting their child. A third of the parents in Liverpool (compared to only four in Wales) admitted to threatening to use an object. Three percent of parents admitted smacking their child so hard that it left a bruise on at least one occasion. The physical punishment of children has been considered acceptable within the UK for a long period of time. Historically, disobedience towards parents has not been considered acceptable and is illustrated by the quote of Martin Luther who said “I would rather have a dead son than a disobedient one” (2). In Massachusetts, USA, “Stubborn Child Laws” were passed allowing the death penalty for disobedient children! The Law has since been amended but was still being used in 1971 when the maximum punishment had been reduced to six months’ imprisonment and a $200 fine (2). Corporal punishment was allowed in British schools until 1987 whereas it was abolished in Poland in 1783. Other countries such as Italy and Greece appear never to have permitted the use of corporal punishment in schools. There appeared to be a strong correlation between the age of the child and the frequency of smacking. The under fives were frequently smacked (approximately 50% weekly) whereas older children were rarely
Smacking children is accepted throughout Britain as an appropriate means of disciplining children. In other countries within Europe, however, it is not only culturally unacceptable but also illegal. The Scandinavian countries and Austria have passed laws protecting children from being smacked by their parents. The only detailed study of the prevalence of smacking children in the UK is the work of John & Elizabeth Newson in Nottingham (I). We decided to study the prevalence of smacking children in Liverpool and North Wales and also parental attitudes towards discipline in children. The parents of children attending general paediatric medical clinics at the Royal Liverpool Children’s Hospital, Alder Hey, Liverpool and at Glan Clywd Hospital, Bodelwyddan, North Wales, were asked to complete a questionnaire regarding parental attitudes towards discipline. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee at the Royal Liverpool Children’s Hospital, Alder Hey. Questionnaires were completed from the accompanying parents of 205 consecutive children attending clinic (96 in Liverpool and 109 in North Wales). Two parents declined to complete the questionnaire. The frequency of reported smacking is shown in Table 1. Almost half of the children under five years of age were smacked at least once a week in both Liverpool and North Wales. Smacking appeared to be slightly more frequent in Liverpool than North Wales in children over the age of four years, but in view of the small numbers accurate statistical comparison was not possible. The number of children who were never smacked was similar in both groups (25-28 %). Children were smacked usually for being naughty (47-56%), or for doing something dangerous (39-49%). Table 1. Frequency of reported smacking (% in parentheses). Age (years)
5-10
04
Daily Weekly Monthly
SHORT COMMUNICATION
Parental attitudes towards discipline Rob McClure and Imti Choonara lnsiiiute of Child Health. Royal Liverpool Children’s Hospital Alder Hey, Eaton Road, Liverpool L12 ZAP. UK
Smacking usually started between the ages of 12 and 24 months although 15 children in total were smacked before the age of 12 months. Most parents felt that smacking was appropriate but over 25% felt they should not have smacked the child. A similar number felt that smacking would not improve the child’s behaviour. - Very few parents (4%) would allow the babysitter to smack the child. More would, however, allow grandparents (39-50%) or teachers (23-25%) to smack their child. Six parents (five in Liverpool and one in Wales) used an object when hitting their child. A third of the parents in Liverpool (compared to only four in Wales) admitted to threatening to use an object. Three percent of parents admitted smacking their child so hard that it left a bruise on at least one occasion. The physical punishment of children has been considered acceptable within the UK for a long period of time. Historically, disobedience towards parents has not been considered acceptable and is illustrated by the quote of Martin Luther who said “I would rather have a dead son than a disobedient one” (2). In Massachusetts, USA, “Stubborn Child Laws” were passed allowing the death penalty for disobedient children! The Law has since been amended but was still being used in 1971 when the maximum punishment had been reduced to six months’ imprisonment and a $200 fine (2). Corporal punishment was allowed in British schools until 1987 whereas it was abolished in Poland in 1783. Other countries such as Italy and Greece appear never to have permitted the use of corporal punishment in schools. There appeared to be a strong correlation between the age of the child and the frequency of smacking. The under fives were frequently smacked (approximately 50% weekly) whereas older children were rarely
Smacking children is accepted throughout Britain as an appropriate means of disciplining children. In other countries within Europe, however, it is not only culturally unacceptable but also illegal. The Scandinavian countries and Austria have passed laws protecting children from being smacked by their parents. The only detailed study of the prevalence of smacking children in the UK is the work of John & Elizabeth Newson in Nottingham (I). We decided to study the prevalence of smacking children in Liverpool and North Wales and also parental attitudes towards discipline in children. The parents of children attending general paediatric medical clinics at the Royal Liverpool Children’s Hospital, Alder Hey, Liverpool and at Glan Clywd Hospital, Bodelwyddan, North Wales, were asked to complete a questionnaire regarding parental attitudes towards discipline. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee at the Royal Liverpool Children’s Hospital, Alder Hey. Questionnaires were completed from the accompanying parents of 205 consecutive children attending clinic (96 in Liverpool and 109 in North Wales). Two parents declined to complete the questionnaire. The frequency of reported smacking is shown in Table 1. Almost half of the children under five years of age were smacked at least once a week in both Liverpool and North Wales. Smacking appeared to be slightly more frequent in Liverpool than North Wales in children over the age of four years, but in view of the small numbers accurate statistical comparison was not possible. The number of children who were never smacked was similar in both groups (25-28 %). Children were smacked usually for being naughty (47-56%), or for doing something dangerous (39-49%). Table 1. Frequency of reported smacking (% in parentheses). Age (years)
5-10
04
Daily Weekly Monthly
