Cited by 132Child Abuse and TraumaIntimate Partner and Family ViolenceChild Abuse and Related Trauma

The relationships between harsh physical punishment and child maltreatment in childhood and intimate partner violence in adulthood

Open access
Afifi, Tracie O., Mota, Natalie, Sareen, Jitender, MacMillan, Harriet L.·2017·BMC Public Health

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Physical punishment of children is an important public health concern. Yet, few studies have examined how physical punishment is related to other types of child maltreatment and violence across the lifespan. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to examine if harsh physical punishment (i.e., being pushed, grabbed, shoved, hit, and/or slapped without causing marks, bruises, or injury) is associated with an increased likelihood of more severe childhood maltreatment (i.e., physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, physical neglect, emotional neglect, and exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV)) in childhood and perpetration or victimization of IPV in adulthood. METHODS: Data were drawn from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions collected in 2004 to 2005 (n = 34,402, response rate = 86.7%), a representative United States adult sample. RESULTS: Harsh physical punishment was associated with increased odds of childhood maltreatment, including emotional abuse, sexual abuse, physical abuse, physical neglect, emotional neglect, and exposure to IPV after adjusting for sociodemographic factors, family history of dysfunction, and other child maltreatment types (range 1.6 to 26.6). Harsh physical punishment was also related to increased odds of experiencing IPV in adulthood (range 1.4 to 1.7). CONCLUSIONS: It is important for parents and professionals working with children to be aware that pushing, grabbing, shoving, hitting, or slapping children may increase the likelihood of emotional abuse, sexual abuse, physical abuse, physical neglect, emotional neglect, and exposure to IPV in childhood and also experiencing IPV victimization and/or perpetration in later adulthood.

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  • Physical punishment has been linked to negative effects in children, including poor child mental health outcomes and aggression.

    “PP has been linked to many negative effects (e.g., poor child mental health outcomes, aggression; Afifi, Mota, Sareen, & MacMillan, 2017;Gershoff, 2002;Sege, Siegel, COUNCIL”

    From Child abuse-related homicides precipitated by caregiver use of harsh physical punishment (2023) · cites this paper as Afifi, Mota, Sareen, & MacMillan, 2017

    The Background states that physical punishment is linked to adverse health and behavioural outcomes, supporting the broad claim. It does not specifically identify poor child mental health or aggression as outcomes of physical punishment; the separate discussion of poor mental health concerns child maltreatment and intimate partner violence. (LLM, conf=0.83)

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  • Physical punishment can escalate to abusive or harsh physical punishment, resulting in child physical abuse or death.

    “Despite differences across studies, these estimates highlight PP as an important public health issue because it involves use of physical force (e.g., hitting), which can escalate to abusive or harsh PP, resulting in child physical abuse (PA; Afifi et al., 2017;Gershoff, 2002) or death (Cavanagh, Dobash, & Dobash, 2007).”
  • Harsh physical punishment is associated with greater odds of child physical abuse (aOR = 26.6; 95% CI, 21.6 to 32.6).

    “Another study found harsh PP was associated with a greater odds of child PA (aOR = 26.6;95 % CI, 21.6 to 32.6; Afifi et al., 2017).”
  • Prior studies have established a link between physical punishment and negative outcomes.

    “Prior studies have established a link between PP and negative outcomes (Afifi et al., 2017;Cavanagh et al., 2007;Gershoff, 2002;Sege et al., 2018;Trocmé et al., 2005).”

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Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. [48]Coontz PD, Martin JA. Understanding violent mothers and fathers: Assessing explanations offered by mothers and fathers of their use of control punishment. In: Hotaling GT, Finkelhor D, Kirkpatrick JT, Straus MA, editors. Fam. Abus. its consequences New Dir. Res., Thousand Oaks (CA): Sage Publications; 1988, p. 77–90.

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Authors
Afifi, T. O., Mota, N., Sareen, J., & MacMillan, H. L.
Affiliations
  • University of Manitoba (CA)
  • McMaster University (CA)
Corresponding author
Afifi, Tracie O.
Venue
BMC Public Health
Published
2017-05-23
Volume
17
Issue
1
Pages
493-493
ISSN
1471-2458 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2619339784
Cited by
132
References
66
Citations by year
2026: 10 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 10 · 2023: 19 · 2022: 21 · 2021: 20 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 3
FWCI
13.87
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • BMC Public Health (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Manitoba Health Research Council
  • Research Manitoba
  • Manitoba Medical Service Foundation
  • Winnipeg Foundation
  • Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
  • Social Sciences › Health › Intimate Partner and Family Violence
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Child Abuse and Related Trauma
Keywords
child abuse, intimate partner violence, child physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, physical neglect, emotional neglect, IPV perpetration, IPV victimization, intergenerational transmission of violence, family dysfunction
MeSH terms
Intimate Partner Violence, Adolescent, Adult, Child, Child Abuse, Child, Preschool, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Personality Disorders, Punishment, United States, Violence, Odds Ratio, Crime Victims

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