Corporal Punishment of Children in the Jamaican Context

Smith, Delores E.

doi:10.18357/ijcyfs.71201615415

Cited by 16 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 27 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Helping children develop social competence, particularly constructive conflict resolution skills, has been shown to have positive developmental effects. For example, social competence has been reported to enhance emotional regulation, boost communication, improve problem solving, promote positive self-esteem, and lessen conduct problems (Smith, 2016). The assumption here is that these learned competencies will be carried forward into relationships in adulthood, thereby, lessening the prevalence of IPV.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These dynamics have led observers (IACHR, 2012) to underscore the widespread insecurity, fear, and despair among the Jamaican populace. Furthermore, others (e.g., Smith, 2016;UNICEF, 2006b;Ustanny, 2006) have asserted that the cumulative effect of the many forms of violence (i.e., home, school, community, and media) to which Jamaican young people are exposed, have led to their desensitization to violence and the belief that violence of any kind and in any relationship is acceptable and normal. The Jamaica RHS (Serbanescu et al, 2010) did not disaggregate the IPV data by neighbourhood, but Kingston, the capital city of the island, is one of the three parishes with the highest percentage (30%) of women reporting having experienced any physical or sexual IPV.…”

Section: Neighbourhood Qualitymentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence in Jamaica: Implications for Prevention and Intervention

Smith

2016

IJCYFS

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a global phenomenon. It is pervasive in every society and cuts across culture, religion, wealth, status, age, and lifestyle. IPV is a violation of women's human rights and a threat to public health and national development. However, in many societies, particularly developing nations, it is not given the national attention it deserves. The purpose of the current article is to present a snapshot of the prevalence and scope of IPV in the Jamaican context. In addition to presenting information on IPV and its consequences, the article uses ecological systems theory to delineate the various factors that potentially place Jamaican women at risk for intimate partner victimization. Further, the article proposes strategies for addressing existing cultural gender norms and beliefs about heterosexual interpersonal relationships and offers suggestions to policy makers for prevention and intervention approaches to limit the potential for the perpetration and maintenance of IPV. It is suggested that a combination of legislative action and public and private ventures will help reduce the incidence of domestic violence in Jamaica.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Neighbourhood Qualitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence in Jamaica: Implications for Prevention and Intervention

Smith

2016

IJCYFS

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Hudson-Davis et al (2015) noted that despite heightened interest in bullying globally, research activity on the topic lacks sufficient intensity in Jamaica. Therefore, what is assumed about bullying and its impact on Jamaican children and youth has been gleaned via extrapolations from studies emanating from developed societies (Smith, 2016a; UNICEF, 2014a, 2015). Undoubtedly, generalizing findings from one culture to another can be helpful in understanding the potential correlates of bullying in Jamaica, but also potentially problematic in that specific cultural nuances may influence the extent to which findings generalize across cultures (Smith, 2016a, 2016b).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, what is assumed about bullying and its impact on Jamaican children and youth has been gleaned via extrapolations from studies emanating from developed societies (Smith, 2016a; UNICEF, 2014a, 2015). Undoubtedly, generalizing findings from one culture to another can be helpful in understanding the potential correlates of bullying in Jamaica, but also potentially problematic in that specific cultural nuances may influence the extent to which findings generalize across cultures (Smith, 2016a, 2016b). Thus, it is prudent to investigate whether the psychosocial correlates of bullying victimization in Jamaica are similar to those reported by children from other cultures.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The associations between bullying victimization and internalizing distress, suicidality, and substance use in Jamaican adolescents: The moderating role of parental involvement

Elledge

Smith

Kilpatrick

et al. 2018

Journal of Social and Personal Relationships

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The present study investigated whether bullying victimization and parental involvement were associated with internalizing distress, suicidal thoughts and behavior, and substance use in Jamaican adolescents as well as whether parental involvement moderated the relation between bullying victimization and measures of psychological and behavioral distress. Analyses were based on a sample of 1,595 adolescents who were participating in the 2010 Global School-Based Student Health Survey. Data were collected using a complex survey design. Regression models were estimated using weighted data, which allowed us to draw conclusions about the population of Jamaican adolescents. Consistent with findings from international studies, bullying victimization was uniquely and positively associated with feelings of loneliness, sleep difficulties due to worry, smoking frequency, and suicidality for both male and female adolescents as well as with alcohol use frequency for female adolescents. Our pattern of findings also suggested that parental involvement is a more robust correlate of psychological and behavioral adjustment for female adolescents. Female adolescents who reported higher levels of parental involvement were less lonely and less likely to consider or plan suicide. For boys, parental involvement was only negatively related to loneliness. Finally, we found evidence that parental involvement moderated the relation between bullying victimization and cigarette use and considering suicide, although the latter finding was at the level of a nonsignificant trend. Our findings suggest parental involvement may attenuate the relation between bullying victimization and considering suicide but may strengthen the relation between bullying victimization and smoking. We discuss our findings in the context of Jamaican cultural socialization and with an appreciation for the social challenges faced by adolescents experiencing bullying victimization.

show abstract

“…In the Caribbean, CP is a dominant practice (Smith, ). Suriname is one of two Caribbean countries geographically located in South America.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceptions of Corporal Punishment among Creole and Maroon Professionals and Community Members in Suriname

et al. 2017

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Child discipline is a vital part of child‐rearing in all cultures. The need for child discipline is generally recognised, but considerable debate exists regarding the best methods. Corporal punishment (CP) is a dominant practice in Caribbean cultures. This qualitative study investigated community perceptions of the function, legality and boundaries of CP in child‐rearing practices in Suriname, in which CP is defined as hitting a child on their buttocks or extremities using an open hand. Twelve focus group discussions were conducted with adolescent and adult community members from Creole and Maroon backgrounds, as well as with professionals working with children. ATLAS.ti (version 7.5.4), a qualitative data package, was used to conduct the analyses. This study showed how violent forms of disciplining children are widely accepted and practised in Suriname. CP is considered a necessary and respected form of disciplining children, particularly by parents. Participants know about the existence of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child that has been ratified in Suriname, but there is a lack of knowledge about its content. Developing appropriate policy responses to violence towards children requires understanding of the perception and use of CP. Such knowledge is needed to tackle the invisibility and social acceptance of violence in child discipline. Key Practitioner Messages Under certain circumstances, Corporal Punishment (CP) is accepted and applied in Suriname, despite growing knowledge of its harmful consequences. While participants considered the lawfulness of behaviour, they were primarily interested in the intentions of the caretakers when using CP If these were interpreted ‘in the best interest of the child’, CP was not considered maltreatment. Understanding of what motivates caregivers to use CP helps in developing appropriate policy responses in order to prevent and respond to violence towards children.

show abstract

Corporal Punishment of Children in the Jamaican Context

Cited by 16 publications

References 27 publications

Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence in Jamaica: Implications for Prevention and Intervention

Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence in Jamaica: Implications for Prevention and Intervention

The associations between bullying victimization and internalizing distress, suicidality, and substance use in Jamaican adolescents: The moderating role of parental involvement

Perceptions of Corporal Punishment among Creole and Maroon Professionals and Community Members in Suriname

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About