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Cited by 2,165Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional DevelopmentChild Abuse and TraumaEducation Discipline and Inequality

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 533 of the 533 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

Corporal punishment by parents and associated child behaviors and experiences: A meta-analytic and theoretical review

Gershoff, Elizabeth Thompson·2002·Psychological Bulletin
DOI 10.1037/0033-2909.128.4.539
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Abstract

Although the merits of parents using corporal punishment to discipline children have been argued for decades, a thorough understanding of whether and how corporal punishment affects children has not been reached. Toward this end, the author first presents the results of meta-analyses of the association between parental corporal punishment and 11 child behaviors and experiences. Parental corporal punishment was associated with all child constructs, including higher levels of immediate compliance and aggression and lower levels of moral internalization and mental health. The author then presents a process-context model to explain how parental corporal punishment might cause particular child outcomes and considers alternative explanations. The article concludes by identifying 7 major remaining issues for future research.

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Citations

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Metadata

Authors
Gershoff, E. T.
Affiliations
Columbia University (US)
Corresponding author
Gershoff, Elizabeth Thompson
ORCID
Gershoff, Elizabeth Thompson
Venue
Psychological Bulletin
Publisher
American Psychological Association (APA)
Published
2002
Volume
128
Issue
4
Pages
539-579
ISSN
  • 0033-2909 (ISSN-L)
  • 1939-1455
DOI
10.1037/0033-2909.128.4.539
OpenAlex
W2139885671
Cited by
2,165
References
523
Citations by year
2026: 61 · 2025: 73 · 2024: 68 · 2023: 84 · 2022: 90 · 2021: 106 · 2020: 140 · 2019: 118 · 2018: 131 · 2017: 111 · 2016: 123 · 2015: 137 · 2014: 152 · 2013: 127 · 2012: 119
FWCI
44.62
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Psychological Bulletin (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • Arizona State University
  • National Institute of Mental Health
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
  • Social Sciences › Education › Education Discipline and Inequality
Keywords
corporal punishment, parental discipline, child behavior, child compliance, child aggression, moral internalization, child mental health, child outcomes
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Child, Child Abuse, Child Behavior, Child, Preschool, Humans, Infant, Internal-External Control, Parent-Child Relations, Personality Development, Punishment, Socialization

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