Re: screening questions for abuse vs. harsh discipline

["Edward Adrian Lentz" <ealent@xxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message -----
From: Sandra Bishop <bishop@CDMAS.med.yale.edu>
To: Child Maltreatment Researchers
<CHILD-MALTREATMENT-RESEARCH-L@cornell.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, April 20, 1999 12:57 PM
Subject: screening questions for abuse vs. harsh discipline
<<snip>>
> The questionnaire contains 3 items regarding parental discipline:
>
> 1) Have you spanked your child more than once in the previous month?
> 2) Have you ever felt like you have lost control while spanking your
> child?
> 3) Have you ever left a mark from spanking your child?
>
> If a parent endorses any 2 of these 3 items, she is trying to use this as
> an indication of either: "corporal punishment"; or "harsh discipline"; or
> "potential abuse".
<<snip>>

Sandra,

I'd have to say that corporal punishment is suggested by "yes" to any of the
questions -- but then potential or real abuse could be indicated by
answering "yes" to any one of these questions depending on the
circumstances.

"Harsh discipline" just seems to be a more subjective (value-laden?) term
for corporal punishment, if what we mean by "corporal punishment" is the
methodical &/or controlled periodic use of pain-inducing behavior by a
caregiver to correct inappropriate behavior without the punishment causing
physical trauma.  Whether the discipline is "harsh" or not would seem to
depend entirely on the child's or parent's experience of receiving or giving
a range of discipline from "not harsh" to "harsh" to "excessive".  What I'm
trying to say is that there is no objective measure of "harsh" discipline,
you would have to query each participant on their measure of harsh.
"Corporal punishment" seems to me to evoke itemizable criteria.

Using the guidelines above, answering "yes" to either #2 or #3 would
constitute real or potential abuse.  "Losing control" seems a bit too
squishy, since you'd need to know under what conditions the participant
considers themself in "control".  But, if you could introduce some objective
measure of control then, yes, "losing" control would introduce potential for
abuse.

On #3, a "yes" answer would cross the line from corporal punishment to abuse
if the mark was evidence of physical trauma (bruise, welt, etc.).

In British Columbia, any report corporal punishment which threatened
psychological harm (as suggested by incidences of "losing control") or left
marks would certainly be of concern to child protection authorities & would
most likely be investigated.  If either of these situations was witnessed or
brought to the attention of a mandated reporter they would, by a strict
reading of the law, be reportable.

Hope this is useful.
____________________________________________________

Edward Adrian Lentz, MLS, MPA
Analyst, Child/Youth/Family Policy
(Prospective) Doctoral Student, Child & Youth Care
Research Unit on Youth & Society
University of Victoria (BC)

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