Spare the Dog, Hit the Child: Preliminary Findings Regarding Parents' Beliefs About Spanking and Hitting Children

The goal of this study was to determine if parents view spanking as a form of hitting and view hitting children as more acceptable than hitting other family members, including dogs.

Parents of children 0-8 years of age from across the United States (N = 286; 85% White; 56% women) were recruited through Prolific to participate in an online survey.

Although 90% of parents agreed with a definition of spanking that included the word "hitting" and 33% used the term "hitting" in their definitions of spanking, parents also rated spanking as less severe than hitting. The percentage of participants who agreed that it is acceptable for parents to hit children (30%) was significantly higher than the percentage that reported it was acceptable to hit other family members (dog, 17%; wife, 1%; parent with Alzheimer's, 0%; Tukey tests, p < .001). Nearly a third of parents reported that completing the survey had changed their beliefs about spanking.

This study demonstrated that American parents hold inconsistent beliefs about hitting children, including a judgment that it is more acceptable to hit a child than to hit a dog. These results exemplify the need for systemic parent education and policy interventions to bring children's human rights to live free from family violence in line with the recognized rights of adults.