Publication year
2015
Citation Title
Wait until your father gets home? Mother’s and fathers’ spanking and development of child aggression.
Journal Name
Children and Youth Services Review
Journal Volume
52
Issue Number
1
Page Numbers
158-166
DOI
10.1016/j.childyouth.2014.11.006
Summary
Researchers examined whether fathers' and mothers' (N = 1,298) spanking contributed to development of child aggression in the first five years of life. Overall, results indicated that mothers spanked more frequently than fathers. This suggested that the processes linking spanking to child aggression may differ for mothers and fathers.
Key Findings
When examining fathers only, fathers’ spanking was not associated with subsequent child aggression.
In studying both parents, only mothers’ spanking was predictive of subsequent child aggression.
More mothers than fathers reported spanking their child at all three ages (one year, three years, and five years).
Spanking by either parent did not improve children’s behavior over time.
Implications for Military Professionals
Facilitate new ways to promote community involvement for military families seeking new social support for parenting
Collaborate with military parenting programs to educate parents on the potentially harmful effects of spanking and child aggression
Implications for Program Leaders
Offer education for military parents on developmental needs and outcomes for youth in order to minimize child aggression trajectories
Provide additional materials or courses for new parents and families to gain further insight into healthy and positive parent-child relationships
Implications for Policy Makers
Promote additional research on spanking and child aggression levels, specifically in military youth and families
Encourage education for professionals who work in military youth programs around alternative methods to discipline
Methods
Respondents were recruited at hospitals and over the telephone at the time of the child’s birth. Both verbal and written informed consent were obtained from participants at each interview.
Researchers used data from fathers and mothers who participated in a previous study called the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS) core interviews and the add-on In-Home Longitudinal Study of Pre-School Aged Children.
Variables that were measured included: spanking child at 1, 3, and 5 years of age, child aggression, parenting stress, daily caregiving involvement, partner aggression, and parenting risk factors such as mental health issues and intimate partner violence.
Participants
Participants were parents (N = 1,298) who were married or cohabiting, ages 15-61 years at birth of child.
Over half of the parents (65%) were White with an average income of $38,766, and 25% of the sample had a high-school degree or GED and higher.
Interviews were conducted with mothers and fathers (separately) of children at baseline, near the time of the target child’s birth, (Wave 1) at one year (Wave 2), three years (Wave 3), and five years old (Wave 4).
Limitations
Participants were selected from a previous study that was related to child well-being and at-risk families, which may produce different results when compared to families and children who were not sampled from that study or population.
Frequency of spanking the child and parental stress levels were measured via self-report which may allow for skewed results, as parents may be unsure, embarrassed, or guilty when responding to the survey.
Results from this sub-sample of married or cohabiting mothers and fathers living in urban areas may not be generalizable to parents living in non-urban geographic locations.
Avenues for Future Research
Examine and compare single-parent households in relation to the development of child aggression
Explore the differences between parents who are not married or cohabiting to further understand associations between time at home, spanking, and child aggression
Compare families who have not used spanking and associations between children’s behavior over time
Focus
Civilian
Target Population
Population Focus
Abstract
This study examined whether fathers’ and mothers’ spanking contributed to development of child aggression in the first 5 years of life. We selected parents (N = 1,298) who were married or cohabiting across all waves of data collection. Cross-lagged path models examined fathers’, mothers’, and both parents’ within-time and longitudinal associations between spanking and child aggression when the child was 1, 3, and 5 years of age. Results indicated that mothers spanked more than fathers. When examining fathers only, fathers’ spanking was not associated with subsequent child aggression. When examining both parents concurrently, only mothers’ spanking was predictive of subsequent child aggression. We found no evidence of multiplicative effects when testing interactions examining whether frequent spanking by either fathers or mothers was predictive of increases in children’s aggression. This study suggests that the processes linking spanking to child aggression differ for mothers and fathers.
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