Caregiver preferences for physically harsh discipline of children in rural Uganda
Purpose: Physically harsh discipline is associated with poor developmental outcomes among children. These practices are more prevalent in areas experiencing poverty and resource scarcity, including in low- and middle-income countries. Designed to limit social desirability bias, this cross-sectional...
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2024
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| In: |
Journal of family violence
Year: 2024, Volume: 39, Issue: 5, Pages: 861-874 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Keywords: |
| Summary: | Purpose: Physically harsh discipline is associated with poor developmental outcomes among children. These practices are more prevalent in areas experiencing poverty and resource scarcity, including in low- and middle-income countries. Designed to limit social desirability bias, this cross-sectional study in rural Uganda estimated caregiver preferences for physically harsh discipline; differences by caregiver sex, child sex, and setting; and associations with indicators of household economic stress and insecurity. Method: Three-hundred-fifty adult caregivers were shown six hypothetical pictographic scenarios depicting children whining, spilling a drink, and kicking a caregiver. Girls and boys were depicted engaging in each of the three behaviors. Approximately half of the participants were shown scenes from a market setting and half were shown scenes from a household setting. For each scenario, caregivers reported the discipline strategy they would use (time out, beating, discussing, yelling, ignoring, slapping). Results: Two thirds of the participants selected a physically harsh discipline strategy (beating, slapping) at least once. Women selected more physically harsh discipline strategies than men (b = 0.40; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.26 to 0.54). Participants shown scenes from the market selected fewer physically harsh discipline strategies than participants shown scenes from the household (b = -0.51; 95% CI, -0.69 to -0.33). Finally, caregivers selected more physically harsh discipline strategies in response to boys than girls. Indicators of economic insecurity were inconsistently associated with preferences for physically harsh discipline. Conclusions: The high prevalence of physically harsh discipline preferences warrant interventions aimed at reframing caregivers’ approaches to discipline. |
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| Item Description: | Literaturverzeichnis: Seite 871-874 |
| Physical Description: | Illustrationen |
| ISSN: | 1573-2851 |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s10896-023-00536-4 |
