Nearly half of families still smack their children, despite
very few believing it is effective as a form of discipline, a
Families Commission study suggests.
The Discipline in Context study, released today, surveyed the
disciplinary views and practices of 117 caregivers from 100
families with children aged under five.
Most parents believed discipline meant socialising children
so their behaviour fell within acceptable boundaries, the
Otago University College of Education researchers found.
Upbringing, written material, family, media and friends were
all influential on parenting.
Time out was the most common form of discipline, used by 82
percent of respondents, but only 43 percent believed it was
effective.
Distraction was used by 77 percent of families, while a
reward system was used by 76 percent.
Smacking and shouting were used by 41 percent, although only
9 percent believed smacking was effective, while 5 percent
believed shouting worked.
The study, conducted last month, followed an August
referendum in which 87 percent of respondents said no to the
question: "Should a smack as part of good parental correction
be a criminal offence in New Zealand?"
Children's charity Barnardo's said the study showed a
welcoming trend of parents embracing positive parenting
techniques.
Barnardo's chief executive Murray Edridge said parents were
being "authoritative without being authoritarian".
He said anti-smacking legislation and family violence
campaigns had contributed to a change in attitudes.
