PC2040: Predictors of Corporal Punishment During the COVID-19 Pandemic: National Survey Findings

Background: Corporal punishment (i.e., spanking, popping, smacking, whooping) is a known risk factor for child abuse and neglect. Corporal punishment is associated with negative outcomes, similar to those of children who experience physical abuse. Studies have demonstrated that while reported rates of corporal punishment use by caregivers in the later 90’s was as high as 90%, more recent studies have found that use of corporal punishment is closer to 50%. While this declining trend gives reasons for optimism, use of corporal punishment remains unacceptably high.
The COVID-19 pandemic increased stress for families. Many were concerned about how caregivers managed their increased stress while parenting children in their home during the pandemic. Concerns regarding harsh discipline practices, such as corporal punishment, heightened as the pandemic progressed. In this study, we surveyed a national sample of US caregivers to understand parenting practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. The question and hypothesis guiding the current analysis is as follows:
1. What factors are associated with an increased likelihood for corporal punishment during the COVID-19 pandemic? Our hypothesis was that factors such as intimate partner violence (IPV) and a caregivers report of adverse childhood experiences (ACE) would increase the likelihood of corporal punishment, while the use of non-aggressive discipline would decrease the likelihood of corporal punishment.

Methods: National surveys of caregivers over the age of 18 years were conducted in November 2020, March 2021, and July 2021 using an opt-in internet panel through yougov.com. Each survey included 3,000 adults, for an overall sample of 9,000. Participants were asked about use of corporal punishment in the past two weeks, in addition to questions regarding other forms of violence in the home, and coping strategies. Descriptive and multivariate analysis was conducted using SPSS and adjusted for gender, race, region of the country, number of children in the home, and survey wave.

Results: Approximately 16% of caregivers reported using corporal punishment in the two weeks prior to the survey. Consistent with our original hypotheses, IPV was associated with an increased likelihood of corporal punishment (OR= 4.08, 95% CI [3.38, 4.92]) however, parental experiences of ACE’s were not a significant predictor of corporal punishment. Counter to our hypothesis regarding non-aggressive discipline strategies, analyses indicated an increased likelihood of corporal punishment with an increased number of non-aggressive discipline strategies utilized (OR= 7.07, 95% CI [5.09, 9.82]).

Conclusion: IPV was associated with increased likelihood of corporal punishment as was the use of numerous non-aggressive discipline strategies. These findings have direct implications for pediatric practice in terms of screening for violence in the home (i.e., IPV, corporal punishment) and also in helping pediatricians talk to families about the types of discipline used in the home, and the effectiveness of these methods.