Disciplinary practices with children: parental sources of information, attitudes, and educational needs

Although parenting is one of the most important roles undertaken during an individual's lifetime, the amount of information and education that parents receive for this role is variable and often minimal. Parenting behaviors are influenced by a variety of factors and conditions such as knowledge levels, and parenting abilities vary with parents' own childhood experiences, value systems, education levels, and other life experiences. One ongoing parenting issue is the management of and appropriate response to child misbehavior. A review of the topics of discipline and physical punishment are discussed in this article in relation to definitions, practice, and outcomes. A study of parents' attitudes regarding physical punishment and their sources and needs for related parenting education are presented. Findings from this study (N = 170) indicate that parents receive parenting information from a variety of sources, most frequently through discussions with other parents, books on parenting, and their own experiences. The topics identified most frequently by respondents are age-appropriate disciplinary responses and expected child development and behaviors. These areas of information should be made available on a wide basis to parents of young children.