Adverse Childhood Experiences and Spanking Have Similar Associations with Early Behavior Problems

Abstract

Objectives To examine whether adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and physical punishment (ie, spanking) are unique risk factors for behavior problems in early childhood, and whether ACEs moderate the associations of spanking with child behavior problems. Study design We conducted prospective, longitudinal analyses on 2380 families in the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study. Mothers reported outcomes of externalizing and internalizing behavior problems at age 5 years; and the main predictors, ACEs and spanking, at age 3 years. ACEs included 9 items: physical abuse, emotional abuse, physical neglect, emotional neglect, mother's exposure to intimate partner violence, parental mental health problem, parental substance use, parental incarceration, and parental death. Multilevel models examined the associations between ACEs, spanking, and behavior problems, and the moderating effect of ACEs in the associations of spanking with behavior problems. Analyses were adjusted for preexisting behavior problems, demographics, and neighborhood conditions. Results ACEs (b = 0.028; P < .001) and spanking (b = 0.041; P < .001) at 3 years were unique risk factors for increased externalizing behavior problems at 5 years, after controlling for covariates. The magnitude of the associations of ACEs and spanking with externalizing behavior were statistically indistinguishable. ACEs did not moderate the association between spanking and externalizing behavior. Conclusions ACEs and spanking have similar associations in predicting child externalizing behavior. Results support calls to consider physical punishment as a form of ACE. Our findings also underscore the importance of assessing exposure to ACEs and physical punishment among young children and providing appropriate intervention to children at risk.

Child Execution in Iran: Furthering Our Understanding of Child Execution as a Form of Structural Violence

“…Moreover, the Iranian State permits corporal punishment within schools. While the physical punishment of children in schools and by families is sanctioned by many countries, including Australia, South Korea, and the US (Gershoff 2017), many countries, particularly within the Council of Europe, have implemented legislation to prohibit it, reflecting the wealth of research linking corporal punishment to physical aggression and other problematic behavior in children (DCSF 2007;Douglas and Straus 2006;Ma et al 2021;Simons et al 1998). As Douglas and Straus (2006: 312) argue, "a society in which CP [corporal punishment] is prevalent is likely to be a society in which other types of violence are prevalent"; the social contexts in which the physical punishment of children is common are likely to have a greater acceptance of other forms of interpersonal violence.…”

Childrens’ behaviour problems’ and parents’ parenting behaviour changes after participation in a modified multimodal early intervention program “STOP 4–7”

“…Pētījumi rāda, ka vecāku un bērnu mijiedarbībai un vecāku audzināšanas stiliem ir nozīmīga loma uzvedības problēmu attīstībā. Pārmērīga fiziskā un psiholoģiskā kontrole (fiziski sodi, kaunināšana), autoritārs, visatļaujošs audzināšanas stils vai novārtā pamešana ir saistīta ar augstāku eksternalizētas uzvedības līmeni pirmsskolas un skolas vecumā (Ma, Lee, & Grogan-Kaylor, 2021;McKee et al, 2008;Pinquart, 2017). Negatīva audzinošā uzvedība var ietekmēt bērna eksternalizētu uzvedību arī pēc vairākiem gadiem.…”

“The First Mark of Pain”: Toward a child‐centered methodological reorientation of social theory, race and corporal punishment in American life

“…Additional studies have shown that non-physical psychological and emotional punishment can be as harmful as hitting children (Ma et al, 2021;Wang & Kenny, 2014). As a result of these findings, social scientists along with developmental psychologists, pediatricians, and parenting experts have concluded that these physiologic disruptions can persist far into adulthood and lead to lifelong impairments in both mental and physical health and have highlighted the need for legislation to end corporal punishment in homes and schools.…”