A brief intervention may affect parents' attitudes toward using less physical punishment.
Ninety-six parents in a preschool and pediatric clinic participated in a randomized study of a brief parenting intervention. The Attitudes Toward Spanking (ATS) scale was measured at baseline, and, on average, 4 months postintervention. Higher ATS scores are correlated with increased use of physical punishment. In the intervention group, there was a 2.7-point decrease in the ATS score at follow-up compared with baseline (P = 0.01). There was no decrease in the ATS in the control group. Brief interventions may shift parental attitudes toward using less physical punishment and have implications for improving anticipatory guidance within primary care and early education.
Scholer
Seth J
SJ
Departmentof Pediatrics and the Monroe Carell Jr Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA. Seth.Scholer@vanderbilt.edu
Hamilton
Emma C
EC
Johnson
Melissa C
MC
Scott
Theresa A
TA
D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D016487:Parenting; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D010372:Pediatrics; D011678:Punishment / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires