The national prevalence of corporal punishment in Australia: Implications for legislative reform.
Divna Haslam1,2, Australian Centre for Health Law Research, Queensland University of Technology Brisbane2, Brisbane QLD3, QLD AustraliaMelbourne, Australia 56 University of Queensland4069, 1Australian Centre for Health Law Research, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia2Parenting and Family Support Centre, University of Queenland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia3QIMR Berghofer, Brisbane, QLD, Australia4Australian Catholic Unviersity , Melbourne, VIC, Australia5University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Scotland6University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4069
Abstract
Corporal punishment is the most common form a violence against children globally. It is associated with a range of adverse health outcomes for children and places children at greater risk for maltreatment. It is against United Nations Convention on the rights of the child. Although 65 countries have now fully banned corporal punishment in all settings it remains legal in all Australian States and Territories. This paper presents the first nationally representative data on the prevalence of experiences of corporal punishment in childhood and the perpetration of corporal punishment by Australian parents and caregivers. Analysis of data from the Australian Child Maltreatment study, which surveyed 8503 Australians aged 16 years and older, found 62% of Australians experienced physical punishment in childhood, although rates were slightly lower (53.7%) among young participants. Just over half of Australian parents (53.7%) reported using physical punishment. Despite the high prevalence of corporal punishment experiences only 1 in 4 Australians (26.4%) endorsed corporal punishment as necessary indicating the community may be receptive to law reform efforts. Clear age group differences were observed which may indicate changing social norms. Compared with younger participants, participants in older age cohorts were: more likely to have experienced corporal punishment as children; more likely to use it as parents; and more likely to deem in necessary in raising children. These findings have significant policy, practice, and law reform implications. This study adds empirical data to a developing body of literature calling for legislative change to outlaw corporal punishment in Australia as a means of reducing violence towards children.
Non presenting authors
Eva Malacova 3
Daryl Higgins 4
Franziska Meinck 5
Ben Mathews 1
Hannah Thomas 6
David Finkelhor 7
Sophie Havighurst 8
Rosana Pacella 9
Holly Erskine 6
James G. Scott 6
David Lawrence 10
Biography
Dr Haslam is a psychologist and a senior research fellow at Queensland University of Technology. She works at the intersection of parenting and child adversity. Her research focuses on how to ensure all children have the safe, loving, violence-free childhoods they need to thrive in childhood and across life.