title: Medical center staff attitudes about spanking.
abstract: Several medical professional organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, recommend that parents avoid hitting children for disciplinary purposes (e.g., spanking) and that medical professionals advise parents to use alternative methods. The extent to which medical professionals continue to endorse spanking is unknown. This study is the first to examine attitudes about spanking among staff throughout medical settings, including non-direct care staff. A total of 2580 staff at a large general medical center and 733 staff at a children's hospital completed an online survey; respondents were roughly divided between staff who provide direct care to patients (e.g., physicians, nurses) and staff who do not (e.g., receptionists, lab technicians). Less than half (44% and 46%) of staff at each medical center agreed that spanking is harmful to children, although almost all (85% and 88%) acknowledged that spanking can lead to injury. Men, staff who report being religious, and staff who held non-direct care positions at the medical center reported stronger endorsement of spanking and perceived their co-workers to be more strongly in favor of spanking. Non-direct care staff were more supportive of spanking compared with direct care staff on every item assessed. All staff underestimated the extent to which their co-workers held negative views of spanking. If medical centers and other medical settings are to lead the charge in informing the community about the harms of spanking, comprehensive staff education about spanking is indicated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, 108 E. Dean Keeton St., Stop A2702, Austin, TX, 78712, USA. Electronic address: liz.gershoff@austin.utexas.edu.
authors.forename: Elizabeth T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Gershoff
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology & Criminology, Pennsylvania State University, 211 Oswald Tower, University Park, PA 16802, USA. Electronic address: saf252@psu.edu.
authors.forename: Sarah A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Font
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, 1440 Canal St., Suite 2210, New Orleans, LA, 7011, USA. Electronic address: ctaylor5@tulane.edu.
authors.forename: Catherine A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.affiliation: St. Louis Children's Hospital, One Children's Place, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA; Washington University School of Medicine, Campus Box 9999, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA. Electronic address: Rebecca.Foster@bjc.org.
authors.forename: Rebecca H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Gundersen Health System, 1900 South Avenue, Mail stop: FBO-001, La Crosse, WI, 54601, USA. Electronic address: AEBudzak@gundersenhealth.org.
authors.forename: Ann Budzak
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Garza
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Gundersen Health System, 1900 South Avenue, Mail stop: FBO-001, La Crosse, WI, 54601, USA. Electronic address: DGOlsond@gundersenhealth.org.
authors.forename: Denyse
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Olson-Dorff
authors.affiliation: Children's Mercy Hospital, 2401 Gillham Rd, Kansas City, MO 64108, USA. Electronic address: anterreros@cmh.edu.
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Terreros
authors.affiliation: Children's Mercy Hospital, 2401 Gillham Rd, Kansas City, MO 64108, USA. Electronic address: mrnielsen@cmh.edu.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nielsen-Parker
authors.affiliation: Children's Mercy Hospital, 2401 Gillham Rd, Kansas City, MO 64108, USA. Electronic address: lsspector@cmh.edu.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Spector
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D010290:Parents; D011678:Punishment / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013781:Texas; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Attitudes; Medical center; Medical staff; Spanking