Risk factors for severe child discipline practices in rural India
W M Hunter1, D Jain, L S Sadowski
1Department of Social Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,27599, USA. whunter@med.unc.edu
Journal of Pediatric Psychology
|September 9, 2000
Summary
Nearly half of mothers in rural India use severe discipline, with low maternal education and spousal violence being key risk factors. Increased education for women may reduce child and spouse abuse.
Area of Science:
- Global Health
- Sociology
- Public Health
Background:
- Child discipline practices vary globally.
- Understanding factors influencing these practices in rural India is crucial for intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the type and severity of discipline practices in rural India.
- To identify risk and protective factors associated with these practices.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional, population-based survey of 500 mothers (ages 18-50) in rural India.
- Face-to-face interviews assessed discipline practices, spousal violence, sociodemographics, neighbor support, residential stability, and husband's drinking behavior.
- One child per mother was randomly selected as the referent child.
Main Results:
- Nearly half of mothers reported severe verbal discipline (49.7%).
- 42% of mothers reported severe physical discipline.
- Severe discipline practices were linked to low maternal education and spousal violence, occurring less frequently than moderate practices.
Conclusions:
- Findings suggest a correlation between low maternal education and increased severe discipline.
- Spousal violence emerged as a significant risk factor for severe discipline.
- Increased formal education for rural women in India could potentially reduce family violence, including child and spouse abuse.
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