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Maternal disciplinary practices in an at-risk population.
R R Socolar1, J Winsor, W M Hunter
1Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 27599-7225, USA. rsocolar@med.unc.edu
Maternal caregivers most often use limit setting for child discipline in at-risk families. Disciplinary methods vary by misbehavior and family characteristics, with spanking used as a secondary response.
Area of Science:
- Child Development
- Family Studies
- Parenting Practices
Background:
- Understanding maternal discipline is crucial for child maltreatment prevention.
- At-risk families face unique challenges influencing parenting strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe maternal discipline techniques in at-risk families.
- To identify factors associated with specific disciplinary practices.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional survey of 186 maternal caregivers in North Carolina.
- Assessed disciplinary practices for 7- to 9-year-old children at risk.
- Used regression modeling to analyze associated factors.
Main Results:
- Limit setting was the most common primary discipline for 4 of 5 misbehaviors.
- Spanking was often a secondary response; teaching/verbal assertion was less common.
- Disciplinary practices varied by misbehavior (e.g., lying, disobeying, stealing, disrespect).
Conclusions:
- Limit setting is a prevalent disciplinary technique among at-risk mothers.
- Child discipline strategies are influenced by misbehavior type and contextual factors.
- Parent and family characteristics impact disciplinary choices.
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