Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 10, 2026
08:59
The Other End of the Leash: An Experimental Test to Analyze How Owners Interact with Their Pet Dogs
Published on: October 13, 2017
International variations in harsh child discipline.
Desmond K Runyan1, Viswanathan Shankar, Fatma Hassan
1Department of Social Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Campus Box 7105, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7105, USA. drunyan@med.unc.edu
Pediatrics
|August 4, 2010
Summary
Physical and verbal punishments are common globally, with rates varying by country and community. Around 16% of children experienced harsh physical discipline, highlighting the need for awareness and intervention strategies.
Area of Science:
- Global child development
- Cross-cultural parenting practices
- Child maltreatment research
Background:
- Child abuse recognition is established in Europe/North America but lacks data globally.
- Cultural variations in child-rearing practices complicate cross-cultural abuse studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of harsh and less-harsh parenting behaviors in population-based samples.
- To compare disciplinary practices across diverse global communities.
Main Methods:
- Parallel surveys of mothers in Brazil, Chile, Egypt, India, Philippines, and the United States (1998-2003).
- Utilized a modified Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scale and demographic surveys.
- Sampled 14,239 mothers with children under 18, using random or systematic sampling.
Main Results:
- Nonviolent and verbal/psychological punishments were nearly universal.
- Physical punishment occurred in at least 55% of families, with spanking rates varying widely (15%-76%).
- Rates of hitting with objects (median 39%) and severe physical abuse varied significantly; shaking infants was reported by >=20% in 9 communities.
Conclusions:
- Physical and verbal child punishments are prevalent globally across income levels.
- Disciplinary methods and their rates differ significantly between and within countries.
- A median of 16% of children faced harsh or potentially abusive physical discipline annually.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Parenting Styles
Diana Baumrind's four parenting styles — authoritarian, authoritative, neglectful, and permissive — each influence children's socio-emotional development differently.
Authoritarian Parenting
This style is strict and controlling, with little room for open dialogue. Authoritarian parents demand obedience and often enforce rules with minimal warmth. Children raised this way may lack social skills and initiative, usually comparing themselves to others unfavorably.
Authoritative Parenting
This...
Authoritarian Parenting
This style is strict and controlling, with little room for open dialogue. Authoritarian parents demand obedience and often enforce rules with minimal warmth. Children raised this way may lack social skills and initiative, usually comparing themselves to others unfavorably.
Authoritative Parenting
This...
01:28Conduct Disorder
Conduct disorder is a complex mental health diagnosis characterized by a repetitive and persistent pattern of behavior that violates societal norms, the rights of others, or age-appropriate rules. The diagnostic criteria for conduct disorder require the presence of at least three problematic behaviors within the past 12 months, with at least one occurring in the past six months. These behaviors are grouped into four categories: aggression toward people and animals; destruction of property;...
02:20Milgram's Obedience to Authority
Obedience to authority is classically demonstrated in a more famous series of social psychology experiments performed by Stanley Milgram. He was a social psychology professor at Yale who was influenced by the trial of Adolf Eichmann, a Nazi war criminal. Eichmann’s defense for the atrocities he committed was that he was “just following orders.”
01:30Socioemotional Experience and Gender Development
Social-emotional experiences and cultural influences play significant roles in shaping gender development. During middle childhood, from ages 6 to 11, peer groups become dominant in reinforcing gender norms. Children in this age group often align with same-gender peer groups, which actively encourage behaviors that conform to traditional gender roles. For instance, boys may be discouraged from engaging in activities perceived as feminine, reinforcing culturally dictated norms about masculinity...
01:27Punishment
Negative reinforcement and punishment are often confused but serve distinct functions in behavior modification. Reinforcement, whether positive or negative, increases the likelihood of a desired behavior, while punishment decreases it.
Punishment can be positive or negative. Positive punishment involves adding an undesirable stimulus, such as scolding, to decrease a behavior. Negative punishment involves removing a desirable stimulus, such as taking away a favorite toy, to decrease behavior.
Punishment can be positive or negative. Positive punishment involves adding an undesirable stimulus, such as scolding, to decrease a behavior. Negative punishment involves removing a desirable stimulus, such as taking away a favorite toy, to decrease behavior.
02:04Bullying
A modern form of aggression is bullying. As you learn in your study of child development, socializing and playing with other children is beneficial for children’s psychological development. However, as you may have experienced as a child, not all play behavior has positive outcomes. Some children are aggressive and want to play roughly. Other children are selfish and do not want to share toys. One form of negative social interactions among children that has become a national concern is bullying.