Do Guyanese mothers' levels of warmth moderate the association between harshness and justness of physical punishment and preschoolers' prosocial behaviours and anger?

Abstract

This study assessed the moderating role of Indo-Guyanese mothers' warmth and affection on the associations between harshness and justness of physical punishment and prosocial behaviours and anger in preschoolers. One hundred and thirty-nine rural Indo-Guyanese mothers filled out Rohner's Parental Acceptance-Rejection (PARQ) and Physical Punishment Questionnaires (PPQ). Teachers provided assessments of children's prosocial behaviours and anger in preschool settings. Maternal warmth did not moderate the relationship between harshness of physical punishment and children's prosocial behaviours and anger, but it did moderate the relationship between justness of physical punishment and prosocial behaviours for sons as well as the association between justness of physical punishment and anger for daughters. In Caribbean societies where harsh punishment is normative, maternal warmth may work more effectively with justness, and not with harshness of physical punishment, to lower negative childhood behavioural outcomes.

The Residue Effects of Parental Corporal Punishment on Young Adults’ Psychological Adjustment: Evidence From Malaysia

“…Besides that, to a certain extent, the forms of punishment vary across cultural settings. For example, most Guyanese mothers reportedly stick to spanking in disciplining children (Roopnarine, Jin, & Krishnakumar, 2014).…”

“…For example, some researchers claimed that in comparison with mothers, fathers reportedly tend to used more severe punishment methods (Nobes, Smith, Upton, & Heverin, 1999). On the contrary, when severe punishments become a culturally accepted practice, maternal acceptance together with justness, but not harshness, decreases children's behavioral problems (Roopnarine et al, 2014). Besides that, the parental sum of punishment, although significantly associated with psychological adjustment, fades when combining parental harshness.…”

Relationships Between Parenting Practices and Preschoolers’ Social Skills in African, Indo, and Mixed-Ethnic Families in Trinidad and Tobago

“…Yet more recent studies seem to confirm a mixture of parenting practices across ethnic groups. For instance, analysis of responses provided on the Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire (PARQ) by Indo Caribbeans in Guyana and a multiethnic sample of mother–father pairs in Trinidad revealed that parents were high in warmth and affection and behavioral control while displaying moderate levels of hostility and indifference toward preschool-aged children (Roopnarine, et al, in press); this pattern has been suggested for African Caribbean parents in Jamaica (Leo-Rhynie, 1997).…”

Differential impact of parental region of birth on negative parenting behavior and its effects on child mental health: Results from a large sample of 6 to 11 year old school children in France

“…These findings were corroborated by a study of British Caribbean families who were described as harsh and demanding in their parenting style, with strict expectations that their children display obedience and respect, and frequent use of corporal punishment [7]. The normative nature of harsh punishment was further shown in Guyanese mothers [6, 8]. However, one comparative study of Arab countries suggested that Algerian parenting style was more permissive and authoritarian than what was observed in most other Arab countries, a specificity attributed to the influence of French colonization [9].…”