Reductions in Parental Use of Corporal Punishment on Pre-School Children Following Participation in the Moms' Empowerment Program. Issue 8 (April 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Grogan-Kaylor, Andrew; Galano, Maria M.; Howell, Kathryn H.; Miller-Graff, Laura; Graham-Bermann, Sandra A.
• Is Part Of: Journal of interpersonal violence. Volume 34:Issue 8(2019)
• Page Start: 1563
• Page End: 1582
• Publication Date: 2019-04
• Subjects: domestic violence -- intervention/treatment -- assessment; Violence -- Periodicals; Sex crimes -- Periodicals; Violence -- Périodiques; Crimes sexuels -- Périodiques; 364.15
• DOI: 10.1177/0886260516651627
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0886-2605

Abstract

Corporal punishment is a widely used and widely endorsed form of parental discipline. Inter-partner violence places enormous stress upon women. The rate of corporal punishment is higher in homes where other types of domestic violence are also occurring. This study compares two groups: those who participated in an intervention for women exposed to intimate partner violence (The Moms' Empowerment Program [MEP]) and those in a comparison group. Using standardized measures, women in both groups were assessed at baseline and at the end of the program, 5 weeks later. The 113 mothers who participated in the MEP program had significantly improved their parenting, such that they had less use of physical punishment post-intervention. Findings suggest that a relatively brief community-based intervention program can reduce the use of parental physical punishment even in disadvantaged populations coping with stressful circumstances.