Perspectives on the effects of corporal punishment: comment on Gershoff (2002).
Parental use of corporal punishment has been a contentious child-rearing topic for thousands of years. E. T. Gershoff's (2002) meta-analyses undoubtedly will rekindle the debate over whether parents should spank their children. The quality of the existing data is discussed as well as several surprising findings from the meta-analyses. The effects of corporal punishment are then considered from the perspectives of learning theory, socialization theory, and the child's point of view. Her ecological-process model is then evaluated in light of these perspectives. Research directions and social policy implications are addressed.
Holden
George W
GW
Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, 78712-1189, USA. holden@psy.utexas.edu
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D002652:Child Behavior; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D015201:Meta-Analysis as Topic; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010553:Personality Development; D011678:Punishment; D012951:Socialization