Table 2.
Percent of Sample that Rated Each Behavior as Harsh Physical Discipline and Mean Rated Acceptability by Medical and Legal Subgroups
| Statistic | 0–3 months | 4–8 months | 9–13 months | 14–18 months | 19–24 months | 3–5 years | 6–10 years | 11–18 years | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shout, yell, or scream at child (N = 350) | Percent | 94 | 91.4 | 86.6 | 78.3 | 72.1 | 58.4 | 41.9 | 39.9 |
| Medical (n = 75) | Mean (SD) | 1.18 (.65) | 1.28 (.74) | 1.61 (.93) | 2.04 (1.11) | 2.27 (1.18) | 2.62 (1.13) | 2.82 (.98) | 2.86 (.98) |
| Legal (n = 217) | Mean (SD) | 1.23 (.69) | 1.28 (.74) | 1.49 (.95) | 1.66 (.99) | 1.86 (1.02) | 2.35 (1.04) | 2.68 (.99) | 2.77 (.97) |
| Take away privileges (N = 344) | Percent | 97.4 | 96.5 | 88.7 | 73.7 | 54.9 | 10.1 | 1.4 | 1.1 |
| Medical (n = 74) | Mean (SD) | 1.01 (.12) | 1.03 (.23) | 1.26 (.72) | 1.55 (.98) | 2.32 (1.15) | 3.55 (.77) | 3.92 (.32) | 3.95 (.28) |
| Legal (n = 216) | Mean (SD) | 1.14 (.59) | 1.17 (.63) | 1.44 (.95) | 1.93 (1.18) | 2.49 (1.18) | 3.62 (.72) | 3.91 (.32) | 3.94 (.25) |
| Spank child on the buttocks with hand only (N = 347) | Percent | 98 | 97.1 | 87.4 | 73.5 | 62.8 | 45.3 | 42.7 | 62.5 |
| Medical (n = 76) | Mean (SD) | 1.08 (.43) | 1.16 (.52) | 1.49 (.87) | 1.87 (1.10) | 2.26 (1.20) | 2.70 (1.11) | 2.43 (1.17) | 2.03 (1.15) |
| Legal (n = 215) | Mean (SD) | 1.07 (.38) | 1.15 (.51) | 1.48 (1.12) | 1.88 (1.05) | 2.20 (1.05) | 2.69 (.95) | 2.75 (.95) | 2.25 (1.06) |
| Hit child’s buttocks with an object such as a belt or switch (N = 358) | Percent | 99.4 | 99.7 | 99.2 | 84.4 | 89.8 | 77.5 | 71.4 | 78.3 |
| Medical (n = 74) | Mean (SD) | 1.01 (.12) | 1.01 (.12) | 1.09 (.33) | 1.24 (.56) | 1.42 (.79) | 1.82 (1.13) | 1.89 (1.15) | 1.75 (1.06) |
| Legal (n = 214) | Mean (SD) | 1.00 (.07) | 1.02 (.14) | 1.07 (.27) | 1.17 (.46) | 1.34 (.68) | 1.69 (.96) | 1.91 (1.01) | 1.81 (.98) |
| Curse or swear at child (N = 346) | Percent | 94.2 | 93.4 | 91.6 | 89.1 | 85.6 | 81 | 76 | 69.8 |
| Medical (n = 74) | Mean (SD) | 1.14 (.58) | 1.20 (.65) | 1.24 (.71) | 1.32 (.80) | 1.47 (.90) | 1.63 (1.06) | 1.76 (1.07) | 1.96 (1.13) |
| Legal (n = 216) | Mean (SD) | 1.24 (.71) | 1.25 (.72) | 1.31 (.78) | 1.38 (.87) | 1.44 (.92) | 1.56 (1.00) | 1.79 (1.10) | 1.98 (1.12) |
| Giving a child a time out or sending him/her to his/her room (N = 362) | Percent | 97.8 | 97 | 92.1 | 68.5 | 34.4 | 5.1 | 2.9 | 13.6 |
| Medical (n = 74) | Mean (SD) | 1.07 (.30) | 1.09 (.38) | 1.38 (.84) | 2.16 (1.05) | 3.09 (.96) | 3.83 (.47) | 3.88 (.37) | 3.45 (.84) |
| Legal (n = 209) | Mean (SD) | 1.08 (.42) | 1.12 (.49) | 1.36 (.74) | 2.10 (1.10) | 2.80 (1.05) | 3.70 (.58) | 3.85 (.42) | 3.56 (.79) |
| Pinch child (N = 343) | Percent | 98.5 | 97.7 | 95.9 | 92.7 | 90.1 | 84 | 81.2 | 83.6 |
| Medical (n = 75) | Mean (SD) | 1.04 (.35) | 1.09 (.41) | 1.21 (.55) | 1.31 (.68) | 1.47 (.83) | 1.70 (1.02) | 1.68 (1.02) | 1.57 (.96) |
| Legal (n = 217) | Mean (SD) | 1.06 (.38) | 1.11 (.50) | 1.17 (.60) | 1.29 (.72) | 1.38 (.80) | 1.59 (.88) | 1.68 (.93) | 1.67 (.93) |
| Refuse to speak to a child as punishment (N = 344) | Percent | 98.3 | 98.3 | 97.1 | 94.5 | 91.6 | 82.1 | 71.1 | 63.7 |
| Medical (n = 74) | Mean (SD) | 1.08 (.43) | 1.08 (.43) | 1.15 (.57) | 1.22 (.65) | 1.38 (.75) | 1.76 (1.01) | 2.07 (1.12) | 2.29 (1.08) |
| Legal (n = 216) | Mean (SD) | 1.06 (.39) | 1.07 (.40) | 1.11 (.51) | 1.19 (.64) | 1.30 (.79) | 1.54 (.96) | 1.89 (1.09) | 2.11 (1.09) |
| Call child names like stupid, ugly, or useless (N = 346) | Percent | 97.7 | 97.1 | 96.5 | 94.5 | 93.4 | 89 | 84.8 | 83.6 |
| Medical (n = 75) | Mean (SD) | 1.07 (.41) | 1.07 (.41) | 1.09 (.44) | 1.13 (.53) | 1.25 (.68) | 1.44 (.87) | 1.57 (.97) | 1.67 (1.06) |
| Legal (n = 218) | Mean (SD) | 1.09 (.48) | 1.11 (.53) | 1.13 (.59) | 1.19 (.65) | 1.22 (.68) | 1.33 (.81) | 1.44 (.88) | 1.47 (.92) |
| Withhold food from child as punishment (send child to bed without supper or deprive child of a full meal) (N = 343) | Percent | 99.7 | 99.7 | 99.4 | 98.6 | 96.2 | 87.5 | 76.9 | 73.8 |
| Medical (n = 74) | Mean (SD) | 1.05 (.37) | 1.05 (.36) | 1.07 (.38) | 1.11 (.42) | 1.23 (.65) | 1.59 (.89) | 1.84 (.94) | 1.92 (.96) |
| Legal (n = 217) | Mean (SD) | 1.00 (.00) | 1.00 (.00) | 1.03 (.23) | 1.09 (.42) | 1.16 (.54) | 1.48 (.81) | 1.80 (.98) | 1.93 (1.01) |
| Threaten to leave or abandon child (N = 349) | Percent | 98.3 | 98.3 | 96.9 | 96 | 94.6 | 89.4 | 84.9 | 82.1 |
| Medical (n = 73) | Mean (SD) | 1.03 (.16) | 1.03 (.16) | 1.07 (.30) | 1.15 (.43) | 1.23 (.56) | 1.41 (.76) | 1.55 (.91) | 1.68 (.92) |
| Legal (n = 215) | Mean (SD) | 1.08 (.38) | 1.08 (.38) | 1.13 (.51) | 1.18 (.57) | 1.24 (.65) | 1.37 (.76) | 1.47 (.83) | 1.59 (.92) |
| Slap child on the face or back of the head (N = 345) | Percent | 100 | 99.7 | 98.3 | 97.1 | 94.8 | 89 | 83 | 78.7 |
| Medical (n = 75) | Mean (SD) | 1.01 (.12) | 1.01 (.12) | 1.09 (.44) | 1.19 (.56) | 1.31 (.70) | 1.51 (.89) | 1.66 (.99) | 1.78 (1.08) |
| Legal (n = 219) | Mean (SD) | 1.01 (.10) | 1.02 (.22) | 1.08 (.38) | 1.12 (.45) | 1.21 (.58) | 1.37 (.78) | 1.60 (.94) | 1.72 (.99) |
| Hit child elsewhere (not buttocks) with an object such as a belt, hairbrush, stick, or some other hard object (N = 356) | Percent | 99.7 | 99.7 | 99.4 | 96.9 | 95.3 | 88.9 | 85 | 84.7 |
| Medical (n = 75) | Mean (SD) | 1.01 (.12) | 1.01 (.12) | 1.07 (.25) | 1.19 (.54) | 1.25 (.57) | 1.47 (.86) | 1.57 (.90) | 1.55 (.92) |
| Legal (n = 217) | Mean (SD) | 1.00 (.00) | 1.00 (.07) | 1.03 (.16) | 1.09 (.39) | 1.17 (.53) | 1.33 (.74) | 1.45 (.89) | 1.47 (.89) |
| Threaten to kick child out of the house or send away (N = 347) | Percent | 99.7 | 99.7 | 99.7 | 99.4 | 98.9 | 96.6 | 87.6 | 76.8 |
| Medical (n = 76) | Mean (SD) | 1.03 (.23) | 1.03 (.23) | 1.04 (.26) | 1.05 (.36) | 1.08 (.39) | 1.16 (.49) | 1.41 (.82) | 1.87 (1.00) |
| Legal (n = 218) | Mean (SD) | 1.01 (.10) | 1.01 (.10) | 1.02 (.14) | 1.04 (.21) | 1.07 (.29) | 1.17 (.46) | 1.41 (.81) | 1.94 (1.00) |
| Lock child out of house (N = 345) | Percent | 100 | 100 | 99.7 | 99.7 | 99.4 | 98.6 | 94.5 | 86.5 |
| Medical (n = 75) | Mean (SD) | 1.00 (.00) | 1.00 (.00) | 1.04 (.35) | 1.04 (.35) | 1.04 (.35) | 1.08 (.40) | 1.20 (.59) | 1.56 (.86) |
| Legal (n = 217) | Mean (SD) | 1.00 (.00) | 1.00 (.00) | 1.00 (.00) | 1.00 (.00) | 1.02 (.21) | 1.08 (.35) | 1.23 (.61) | 1.62 (.89) |
| Put chili pepper, hot pepper, or spicy food in child’s mouth as punishment (N = 348) | Percent | 99.7 | 99.7 | 99.4 | 99.1 | 98 | 94 | 92 | 92 |
| Medical (n = 73) | Mean (SD) | 1.04 (.35) | 1.04 (.35) | 1.05 (.36) | 1.11 (.42) | 1.16 (.49) | 1.26 (.60) | 1.24 (.57) | 1.20 (.55) |
| Legal (n = 218) | Mean (SD) | 1.00 (.00) | 1.00 (.00) | 1.02 (.13) | 1.05 (.28) | 1.11 (.43) | 1.28 (.62) | 1.39 (.73) | 1.38 (.73) |
| Beat child, that is, hit over and over again with an object or fist (N = 346) | Percent | 99.4 | 99.4 | 99.4 | 99.1 | 98.8 | 97.7 | 95.4 | 94.5 |
| Medical (n = 76) | Mean (SD) | 1.04 (.34) | 1.04 (.34) | 1.04 (.34) | 1.05 (.36) | 1.11 (.45) | 1.16 (.59) | 1.18 (.61) | 1.25 (.64) |
| Legal (n = 218) | Mean (SD) | 1.02 (.17) | 1.02 (.17) | 1.02 (.17) | 1.04 (.28) | 1.05 (.29) | 1.08 (.39) | 1.16 (.55) | 1.23 (.65) |
| Shake a child (N = 368) | Percent | 99.5 | 99.5 | 99.7 | 99.7 | 99.2 | 97.6 | 96.2 | 96.2 |
| Medical (n = 74) | Mean (SD) | 1.00 (.00) | 1.00 (.00) | 1.00 (.00) | 1.03 (.16) | 1.05 (.23) | 1.05 (.23) | 1.13 (.38) | 1.14 (.39) |
| Legal (n = 216) | Mean (SD) | 1.01 (.14) | 1.01 (.14) | 1.00 (.07) | 1.02 (.13) | 1.04 (.23) | 1.12 (.43) | 1.20 (.51) | 1.25 (.54) |
| Hit hard or kick child (N = 350) | Percent | 100 | 100 | 99.7 | 99.7 | 99.4 | 98 | 96.6 | 95.7 |
| Medical (n = 76) | Mean (SD) | 1.01 (.12) | 1.01 (.12) | 1.03 (.23) | 1.04 (.26) | 1.08 (.32) | 1.16 (.49) | 1.20 (.54) | 1.21 (.55) |
| Legal (n = 218) | Mean (SD) | 1.00 (.00) | 1.00 (.00) | 1.00 (.07) | 1.01 (.10) | 1.03 (.16) | 1.08 (.32) | 1.12 (.42) | 1.18 (.49) |
Note: Percent = percent of total sample that rated the behavior as reflecting a community standard of 1 = never ok/never use or 2 = rarely use or use in extenuating circumstances. Mean and SD are for the indicated subgroup on scale of 1 = never ok/never use to 4 = ok/general use. Emphasis (bold italicized) is added on percent values when 90 percent or more of the participants rated the item as unacceptable.