Reductions in Parental Use of Corporal Punishment on Pre-School Children Following Participation in the Moms’ Empowerment Program

Authors

Andrew Grogan-Kaylor, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Maria M. Galano, University of Michigan, Ann ArborFollow
Kathryn H. Howell, University of Memphis
Laura Miller-Graff, University of Notre Dame
Sandra A. Graham-Bermann, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

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.

Publication Title

Journal of Interpersonal Violence

Recommended Citation

Grogan-Kaylor, A., Galano, M., Howell, K., Miller-Graff, L., & Graham-Bermann, S. (2019). Reductions in Parental Use of Corporal Punishment on Pre-School Children Following Participation in the Moms’ Empowerment Program. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 34 (8), 1563-1582. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260516651627