| Maternal violence, victimization, and child physical punishment in Peru |
| Authors: |
Anastasia J. Gage, Eva A. Silvestre |
| Source: |
Child Abuse & Neglect , 34 (2010) 523–533 |
| Topic(s): |
Domestic violence
|
| Country: |
Latin American/Caribbean
Peru
|
| Published: |
MAR 2010 |
| Abstract: |
Objectives: This study examined whether mothers’ experience of violence was a risk factor
for physical punishment.
Methods: Data were derived from the nationally representative 2000 Peru Demographic
and Family Health Survey. Participants were 12,601 currently married women who were
living with biological children aged 0–17 years and were responsible for disciplining the
children. A multinomial logit model was used to determine the probabilities of using no
physical punishment, slapping/spanking only, beating only, and both slapping/spanking
and beating to discipline children.
Results: The study found that childhood history of physical punishment, a greater variety of
intimate partner emotional violence and experience of intimate partner physical violence
increased significantly a mother’s probability of using physical punishment with her children,
even after controlling for confounding factors. A mother’s history of physical violence
victimization by someone other than the current partner was also a significant factor for
beating children as opposed to using non-physical forms of punishment.
Conclusions: Mothers were at substantially increased risk of using physical punishment if
they were victims of parental physical violence in childhood, intimate partner violence in
the current union, and physical violence by someone other than the current partner.
Practice implications: Increased public education is needed of the negative consequences
of intimate partner emotional and physical violence victimization for mothers’ childrearing
strategies. There is a need to integrate intimate partner violence into child welfare programs
and develop effective screening mechanisms for maternal violence victimization and child
maltreatment. |
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