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. 2021 Dec 24;19(1):182.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph19010182.

Relationship between Punitive Discipline and Child-to-Parent Violence: The Moderating Role of the Context and Implementation of Parenting Practices

M Carmen Cano-Lozano  1 , Samuel P León  2 , Lourdes Contreras  1
Affiliations

Relationship between Punitive Discipline and Child-to-Parent Violence: The Moderating Role of the Context and Implementation of Parenting Practices

M Carmen Cano-Lozano et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

This study examines the influence of punitive parental discipline on child-to-parent violence (CPV). The moderating roles of parental context (stress and parental ineffectiveness), mode of implementation of parental discipline (parental impulsivity or warmth/support) and the gender of the aggressor in the relationship between punitive discipline and CPV are examined. The study included 1543 university students between 18 and 25 years old (50.2% males, Mage = 19.9 years, SD = 1.9) who retrospectively described their experience between the ages of 12 and 17 years old. The results indicated that stress, ineffectiveness and parental impulsivity increase the negative effect of punitive discipline on CPV. There is no moderating effect of parental warmth/support. The gender of the aggressor is only a moderator in the case of violence toward the father, and the effect of punitive discipline is stronger in males than in females. The study draws conclusions regarding the importance of context and the mode by which parents discipline their children, aspects that can aggravate the adverse effects of physical and psychological punishment on CPV. It is necessary for interventions to focus not only on promoting positive disciplinary strategies but also on the mode in which they are administered and on contextual aspects.

Keywords: child-to-parent violence; parental impulsivity; parental ineffectiveness; parental stress; parental warmth/support; punitive discipline.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Simple slope plot of the moderating variables for CPV-F and CPV-M. Note. CPV-F: Child-to-parent violence toward father; CPV-M: child-to-parent violence toward mother; PS: parental stress; IPD: ineffective parental discipline; PI: parental impulsiveness; WS: warmth/support; SD: standard deviation. The regression lines in blue, gray and yellow show the different levels of moderation.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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