Lingering shadows of childhood corporal punishment

Family trajectories across decades

Dados Bibliográficos

ID2287472
AutoresMengsha Luo (0000-0002-6228-9255, Department of Sociology Zhejiang University Zhejiang Hangzhou China, autor correspondente)
Ano2025
Volume87
Fascículo2
Páginas772-796
Data de publicação2025-04-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoJournal of Marriage and the Family (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0022-2445 • E-ISSN: 1741-3737
EditoraWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/jomf.13047
OpenAlexW4403886021
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas5
Referências citadas80

ObjectiveCorporal punishment is the most common form of violence against children worldwide. This study adopts a life course perspective to examine associations between childhood corporal punishment and distinct multi-decade family trajectories from young adulthood to middle adulthood in China. Specifically, it examines how childhood parental punishment shapes later family life course trajectory patterns, incorporating partnership, marriage, and fertility outcomes, and considers different sources of punishment (maternal and paternal) and potential gender differences (sons and daughters).BackgroundAccumulating evidence reveals that corporal punishment is not only unnecessary as a disciplinary technique but also harmful to children. This evidence has led to a worldwide movement to eliminate any non-accidental use of physical force against children. However, previous research often assesses isolated family outcomes without considering family development as a dynamic and interconnected process, resulting in an ambiguous understanding of childhood corporal punishment's long-reaching influence on unfolding family pathways.ResultsResults uncovered both stability and diversity in Chinese family trajectories, with the majority following stable marital norms. Experiencing childhood corporal punishment increased the odds of an early unstable trajectory characterized by divorce and remarriage. Moreover, the implications of childhood paternal punishment appeared more wide-ranging than maternal punishment in terms of sorting into normative versus atypical family trajectory patterns. Childhood maltreatment also overrides influences of child gender, similarly impacting future family trajectories across genders.ConclusionThis research highlights the profoundly disruptive effects of corporal punishment on family development throughout the lifespan, carrying important implications for fostering healthier and more resilient families

Corporal punishment · Criminology · Developmental psychology · Environmental health · Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study · Poison control · Spanking · Child Abuse and Trauma · Child Welfare and Adoption · Family Dynamics and Relationships · Human Factors and Ergonomics · Medicine · Psychology