Ministry of Justice, New Zealand

The objective of this survey was to examine public attitudes towards the physical discipline of children to inform ongoing policy work on section 59 of the Crimes Act 1961. The survey questions were grouped into three different aspects of physical discipline, namely: type of punishment; physical severity of punishment; and the age groups of children for which it is acceptable/unacceptable to physically punish. These questions sought to find out if the public find it acceptable to physically discipline children and, if so, what they consider acceptable physical punishment for the purposes of correction.

The results showed that 80% of the public agreed that a person parenting a child should be allowed by law to smack them with an open hand if they are naughty. The use of objects to smack a child and smacking them in the head and neck area drew an overwhelmingly negative response from the public, indicating that only using an open hand was acceptable to most people.

The questions on severity of punishment ranged from a smack that left no mark through to physical punishment that required medical attention. The responses indicated that only a smack that left no mark was acceptable to the majority of people (75%). Physical force that left a red mark or bruising that lasts for a few days, marks and bruising that last for more than a few days and injuries that require medical attention were found to be definitely not acceptable by almost everyone.

In regards to the questions on the age groups of children, the results indicate that most respondents view punishing very young and older children as unacceptable. Respondents found it the least acceptable (16%) to physically discipline the oldest age group, those aged 15-17 years. The response was also low for children under two years (23%). However, the majority of respondents viewed it as acceptable to physically punish 6-10 year olds (72%) and 2-5 year olds (62%). The result for the 11-14 year olds was 43% acceptance. Thus levels of acceptance formed a bell shaped pattern where it was found to be least acceptable to physically punish the youngest and oldest age groups. This possibly reflects attitudes towards the maturity of the child in terms of physicality and intellectual development.

The issue of what should be legally allowable for parents in regards to physically disciplining their children and the physical consequences for the child can be examined by comparing two of the survey questions. They are, the question on the acceptability of smacking that does not leave a mark compared with the question regarding the legality of parents smacking with an open hand for the purposes of discipline. The results demonstrated that while the response pattern was similar, there was an almost consistent slight drop in agreement to the statement on smacking that leaves no mark across demographic variables. It is suggested that the different emphases of these two questions, legality and injury, could account for this. The comparison of the question on smacking with an open hand (80% agreement) with the other questions on the severity of punishment illustrates what degree of force most people mean when they think of smacking with an open hand. The majority of people do not perceive it as acceptable to give a smack with such force as to cause red marks (94% unacceptable), bruises or any form of injury that requires medical attention (99.9% unacceptable).

New Zealand Studies - attitudes towards smacking

There have been several studies done in New Zealand on attitudes to and the practice of physical punishment of children. The results of this survey can only be tentatively compared to some of the findings in these studies as different questions and methodologies were used. A question that has been compared over time across six studies asks respondents how strongly they agree with the following statement:

In New Zealand, Jane Ritchie asked this question in 1981 as part of a wider study on family violence. In that study, 89% of respondents agreed with this statement. The question was again asked in 1993 when the Office of the Commissioner for Children commissioned a study, Physical Punishment in the Home in New Zealand (Maxwell 1993). The study involved a telephone survey of 1,000 adults. At that time the response to this statement was 87% agreed (Maxwell 1993, p.6).

The Department of Child, Youth and Family (CYF) has asked this question in various monitors since 1995 and as part of the evaluation of their Alternatives to Smacking Campaign. A recent evaluation of this public education campaign was conducted in May 2000. This involved a survey conducted with face-to-face interviews with 610 respondents. The survey found that 56% of respondents agreed that there were certain circumstances when it was all right to smack a child.

The following table summaries the agreement response to this question across most of these studies.

England -Office for National Statistics Omnibus Survey 1998

In England, the Department of Health included questions in the Office for National Statistics Omnibus Survey (April 1998) to find out people's views on the physical discipline of children.[56] A random probability sample of approximately 2,000 adults was interviewed. The key findings relevant to the current study are:

• 88% of respondents agreed that it is sometimes necessary to smack a naughty child.

• 9% of respondents agreed that it is sometimes necessary to use things like canes, sticks, belts or slippers to punish a naughty child.

• 60% considered physical punishment that leaves no mark at all to be reasonable from the options presented. 36% would not specify any level of punishment as reasonable.

• Nearly all respondents considered punishment that leaves a red mark or bruising to be unreasonable (96% and over 99% respectively).

• There were no significant differences in the views on smacking held by men and women or by parents in different age groups.

• 13% agreed that parents should be allowed, by law, to smack a naughty child who is less than two years old.

• 53% agreed that parents should be allowed, by law, to smack a naughty child who is over two years old.

• 85% agreed that parents should be allowed, by law, to smack a naughty child who is over five years old.

It should be restated that it is problematic comparing two studies with different methodologies and questions and in this case different countries. However, the results from the English study showed similar patterns to the present study in regards to the acceptability of the type and severity of punishment and the age groups of children. The majority agreed that parents should legally be allowed to smack their children for the purposes of discipline. Over 90% did not think it was acceptable to apply physical discipline with an object or to use  such force as to leave red marks or bruises (96% and over 99% respectively found this unreasonable).

Proportionally fewer respondents (13%) in the English study agreed that Parents should be allowed, by law, to smack a naughty child who is less than two years old. The present survey asked respondents Do you think it is acceptable or unacceptable to physically punish a child aged under two years? to which 23% responded this was acceptable. The other questions on ages of children in the English study were asked without specified age brackets. However, the higher rate of acceptance for children over two and over five years does reflect the pattern in the present survey.

Demographic analysis

Gender

The response from women and men was very similar for the questions on type and severity of punishment. The significant differences were in regards to the age groups of children. Women (26%) found it more acceptable[57] than men (19%) to physically punish children less than two years. In regards to the physical discipline of 6-10 and 11-14 year olds, men (76% and 51% respectively) found this more acceptable[58] than women (67% and 35% respectively).

The Office of the Commissioner for Children report, Physical Punishment in the Home in New Zealand (Maxwell 1993), asks questions on the acceptability of physical punishment of teenage children. A comparable finding was that twice as many men as women accepted 'hitting teenagers' in certain circumstances. The term teenagers was not defined by age brackets in the 1993 study. However it can be seen that in the present study men still find it more acceptable than women to physically discipline 11-14 year olds. In the present survey men and women do not significantly differ in their response to physically punishing 15 -17 year old children.

The following table compares the results from the present survey with the 1993 study. Both studies were telephone surveys of 1000 adults.

Interestingly, Maxwell compares the results of the 1993 study with that of Jane Ritchie's study in 1981, and concludes that from that time there has been a change in the attitudes of both women and men towards hitting (and thrashing) teenagers, with a decrease in acceptability.

Ethnicity

Those of the NZ European/Other ethnic grouping generally viewed it as more acceptable than either Maori or Pacific peoples to physically discipline children. In most of the results Pacific peoples had the lowest acceptance response closely followed by Maori. An exception was, of the low percentage of people who found using implements such as wooden spoons acceptable to discipline children, Pacific peoples (27%) were more likely to agree to this viewpoint than NZ European/Others (15%) or Maori (10%).

The other exception was Pacific peoples also found it more acceptable[59] than the other groups to discipline their children aged 15-17 years. Maori also had a higher acceptance than NZ European/Other of physically disciplining the eldest age group, whereas the NZ European/Other ethnic grouping was more likely[60] to find it acceptable to physically punish children under 2 years; 2-5 year; and 6-10 years. There were no significant differences between ethnic groups regarding the physical discipline of 11-14 year olds.

These results suggest that there may be different cultural perspectives on what is a suitable age range to physically discipline children. NZ European/Other respondents thought it much more acceptable to smack children under ten years (particularly those aged 2-10 years) than Maori or Pacific peoples. Conversely, Pacific peoples and Maori find it more acceptable to physically punish children that are aged 15-17 years. This area would benefit from further research.

The Office of the Commissioner for Children report, Physical Punishment in the Home in New Zealand (Maxwell 1993), did not find any evidence 'to support the notion of major cultural differences in the use of physical punishment among the main ethnic groups living in New Zealand' (Maxwell 1993, p.7). In regards to respondents' attitudes, the current study shows more acceptance that physical discipline should be allowed by law among the NZ European/Other ethnic grouping than either Maori or Pacific peoples.

The CYF evaluation of their Alternatives to Smacking Campaign (May 2000) found that New Zealand Europeans had the highest level of agreement followed by Maori and Pacific peoples to the statement: There are certain circumstances when it is alright for a parent to smack a child. The CYF (2000) study noted there has been a downward trend in agreement by both Maori and Pacific peoples to this statement as measured against their previous monitors (studies).

The reported attitudes of Maori and Pacific peoples tends to challenge perceptions that they may have a higher tolerance of harsh physical discipline in comparison to the rest of the population.

Parental status

The results in terms of parental status highlighted that previous parents (88% acceptance) were more likely[61] to find smacking with an open hand acceptable than those who were currently parenting (78% acceptance) or those who had never parented (71% acceptance). Previous parents (81% acceptance) were also more likely[62] to agree that smacking that leaves no mark is an acceptable level of punishment than current parents (73% acceptance).

A further statistically significant result was that current parents (26% acceptance) were more likely to find physical discipline of children under two years acceptable than previous parents (19% acceptance) or those that have never parented (17% acceptance).

These responses can be compared to the age groups of respondents, where comparatively more of those in the older age groups, 50 years plus, fall into the previous parent category. Those who have never parented primarily fall into the younger age group of 18-29 years (see Appendix B for demographic information). Although there is not a consistent decrease in agreement from oldest to youngest, it can be seen that the youngest age group, aged 18-29 years, and those who have never parented do have lower acceptance responses to many of the questions.

The response from the 18-29 year olds raised the question of whether there could be a change in attitude over the generations towards the physical discipline of children becoming less acceptable. Further statistical analysis was done to determine whether this age group's responses were mainly due to the comparatively larger proportion of them who had never parented.[63] Was parental status a critical determinant of attitudes towards physical discipline of children?

To examine this question the age groups of respondents were analysed by their parental status. The analysis focused on the question of whether a person parenting a child should be legally allowed to smack them with an open hand if the child is naughty. The results showed that those in the 18-29 year old age group who were currently parenting were still significantly less likely to agree that smacking with an open hand should be legally allowable to discipline a naughty child.

The CYF evaluation of their Alternatives to Smacking Campaign (May 2000) found that non-caregivers had a higher level of agreement than caregivers to the statement: There are certain circumstances when it is alright for a parent to smack a child. A tentative contrast can again be drawn with the statement on smacking with an open hand where the converse was found. Those who had never parented were less likely to agree[64] than current or previous parents to this statement. This may be accounted for by the different sampling criteria the CYF survey used, whereby non-caregivers could include previous parents. Thus their non-caregiver group had a higher level of agreement about physical discipline.

Age groups

As stated, there was generally a lower acceptance level of physical discipline among the youngest age bracket (18-29 year olds) compared to the other age groups. The statistical analysis on parental status of age groups discussed above suggests that the 18-29 year olds response is not attributable to the fact that a larger proportion of this group has never parented. It has been suggested that this indicates a trend that younger people may be finding it less acceptable to physically discipline children.

There was not a consistent drop in agreement from oldest to youngest. Indeed for some of the results the 50-59 years and 60+ years had relatively low acceptance compared to the middle groups. Those who were 60+ had the lowest acceptance of physically punishing children aged 15-17 years.

An interesting result was that those aged 40-49 years had the highest acceptance response to physically discipline children under two years and those aged 15-17 years. This was significant in comparison to some of the other age brackets. In regards to parental status 80% of the 40-49 year olds were current parents; 13% previous parents and only 7% had never parented. There was no significant difference for this result between 40-49 year olds and 30-39 year olds, who also had a higher proportion of current parents (78%).

New Zealand Socio-economic index occupational categories

There was no discernible difference between respondents with different socio-economic status reflected by occupational categories with higher or lower NZSEI scores. This indicates that there was no difference in attitudes between people with different educational levels and income capacity towards the physical discipline of children.

This is in contrast to the 1993 Office of the Commissioner for Children report, Physical Punishment in the Home in New Zealand survey which found that those who were more highly educated were the least likely to endorse physical punishment.

This survey contributes towards an investigation of public perceptions of what is currently acceptable parenting practice in terms of physically disciplining children. The respondents expressed a strong desire to retain the legal right for parents to physically discipline their children for the purposes of correction. However, there was an even stronger belief that this physical discipline should not be applied with implements or to the head and neck area, nor should it be of such force to leave marks and bruises. A consideration for the maturity and physicality of a child was also reflected in the results where there was not much support for the physical discipline of older teenage children, or those children under the age of two years.

Footnotes

56 See Protecting Children, Supporting Parents - A Consultation Document on the Physical Punishment of Children for further discussion.

57 (p<0.01)

58 (p<0.01)

59 (p<0.01)

60 (p<0.01)

61 (p<0.01)

62 (p<0.01)

63 Of those respondents in the 18-29 year old age group 44% were currently parenting; 10% were previous parents; and 47% had never parented.

64 (p<0.01)