Ministry of Justice, New Zealand

Objective

The survey was conducted by the Ministry of Justice to ascertain public attitudes towards the physical discipline of children. This information is to inform ongoing policy work on section 59 of the Crimes Act 1961. Section 59 provides a defence to parents charged with assault against their children. Under section 59, every parent of a child (and every person in the place of the parent of a child) is justified in using force by way of correction towards the child, if the force used is reasonable in the circumstances.

Methodology

This study involved a stand alone, nation-wide, telephone survey of 1000 adults (18 years and over) that included proposed minimum samples of 100 Maori and 100 Pacific peoples. The telephone survey was undertaken by a research company, the National Research Bureau Ltd, during June 2001. The results were analysed and written into the present report by the Ministry of Justice.

The survey questions were grouped into three different aspects of physical discipline, namely: type of punishment; physical severity of punishment; and the acceptability of physical punishment of children of different age groups. These questions sought to find out if the public viewed the physical discipline of children as acceptable at all and, if so, what they considered to be acceptable physical punishment for the purposes of correction.

The response rate to the survey was 59%. The results were further analysed using the following demographic variables; gender, ethnicity, age, parental status and socio-economic status. The demographic results that are reported are significant at the 95% confidence level unless otherwise stated as being significant at the 99% confidence level, which is represented by the p value (p<0.01) in a footnote. A significant result at the 95% confidence level means that we can say with 95% certainty that these results have not occurred by chance. Similarly, for the 99% confidence level we can say with 99% certainty that these results have not occurred by chance.

The margins of error at the 95% and 99% confidence levels associated with a result of 50% of the total survey sample agreeing with a particular statement are approximately 3.1% and 4.1% respectively.

Findings

Type of physical punishment

The results showed that 80% of the public agreed that a person parenting a child should be allowed by law to smack the child 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.

• Fifteen percent agreed with the viewpoint that a person parenting a child should be legally allowed to use objects like a wooden spoon or a belt to punish the child if they are naughty.

• There was negligible agreement (0.4%) with the viewpoint that persons parenting a child should be legally allowed to use heavier objects like a piece of wood or an electric cord to physically discipline a child.

• There was negligible agreement (1.3%) with the viewpoint that persons parenting a child should be legally allowed to smack a child in the head and neck area if they are naughty.

• Other New Zealand studies have asked respondents if they agree with the statement There are certain circumstances when it is alright for a parent to smack a child. The results from these studies can only tentatively be compared to the question on smacking with an open hand as they are different questions and different methodologies were used. However, the results are documented in the discussion section of this report.

Severity of physical punishment

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 day, and injuries that require medical attention were found to be unacceptable by almost everyone.

• 6% thought it was acceptable to use physical punishment that leaves a red mark that lasts a few days.

• 0.8% thought it was acceptable to use physical punishment that leaves a bruise that lasts a few days.

• 0.8% thought it was acceptable to use physical punishment that leaves marks and bruises that last for more than a few days but doesn't cause permanent injury.

• 0.1% thought it was acceptable to use physical punishment that causes an injury that needs medical attention.

Age groups of children

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. This possibly reflects attitudes towards the maturity of the child in terms of physicality and intellectual development.

• 23% thought it was acceptable to physically discipline children under two years old.

• 62% thought it was acceptable to physically discipline children 2-5 years old.

• 72% thought it was acceptable to physically discipline children 6-10 years old.

• 43% thought it was acceptable to physically discipline children 11-14 years old.

• 16% thought it was acceptable to physically discipline children 15-17 year olds.

Demographic analysis of survey results

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 [1] 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 [2] than women (67% and 35% respectively).

Ethnicity

• The sample was analysed by the following ethnic groupings: New Zealand European/Other; Maori; and Pacific peoples. A comparison of the statistically significant results by ethnicity showed that those in the NZ European/Other ethnic grouping generally viewed it as more acceptable than either Maori or Pacific peoples to physically discipline children.

• The respondents in the NZ European/Other ethnic grouping (82%) were more likely [3] to think that persons parenting a child should be legally allowed to physically discipline the child if they are naughty, than either Maori (73%) or Pacific peoples (69%).

• NZ European/Other respondents (79%) were more likely [4] to view a smack that left no mark as an acceptable level of physical punishment than either Maori (61%) or Pacific peoples (51%). There was no one ethnic group that viewed punishment that leaves a red mark, bruising or injuries that require medical attention as acceptable more so than the other groups.

• NZ European/Other respondents were more likely [5] than Maori or Pacific peoples to think that it was acceptable to physically discipline children aged 0-10 years old. The proportion of each ethnic grouping that found it acceptable to physically discipline children aged:

• Pacific peoples (30%) were more likely [6] to view it as acceptable to discipline older children aged 15-17 years than NZ European/Other respondents (14%). These results suggest that there were different perceptions among ethnic groups about the ages it is appropriate to physically discipline children.

• Pacific peoples (27%) were more likely [7] to agree that objects such as wooden spoons should be allowed by law to physically punish children than NZ European/Others (15%) or Maori (10%).

• There was no one ethnic group that thought that the use of heavier objects like a piece of wood or an electric cord to physically discipline a child was more acceptable than the other groups.

Parental status

• The sample was analysed by parental status. The proportions of the sample were: currently parenting (53%); those who had previously parented (29%); and those who had never parented (18%), equating to a total of 82% who had parenting experience.

• The results in terms of parental status highlighted that previous parents (88%) were more likely [8] to find smacking with an open hand should be legally allowable than those who were currently parenting (78%) or those who had never parented (71%).

• Previous parents (81%) were also more likely [9] to agree that smacking that leaves no mark is an acceptable level of punishment than current parents (73%).

• Current parents (26%) were more likely to find physical discipline of children under two years acceptable than previous parents (19%) or those that have never parented (17% acceptance).

Age groups of respondents

• The sample was analysed by age groups of respondents: 18-29 years old; 30-39 years old; 40-49 years old; 50-59 years old; and 60 plus years.

• The youngest age group of respondents, those aged 18-29 years, were less likely [10] to agree that smacking with an open hand should be legally allowable than the other age groups.

• Those aged 18-29 years were also less likely [11] to agree that a smack that leaves no mark was an acceptable level of punishment than nearly all the other age groups.

• The question was raised whether the lower acceptance of 18-29 year olds was due to the larger proportion of these respondents who had never parented (47%). Further statistical analysis regarding the question on smacking with an open hand was conducted to examine this query. The results showed that those in the 18-29 year old age group who were currently parenting (44% of the 18-29 year olds) were still significantly less likely to agree that smacking with an open hand should be legally allowable to discipline a naughty child.

• The youngest age group maintained a lower acceptance of physical discipline of children across many of the questions, which could be an indication that there is a change in attitude over the generations towards the physical discipline of children becoming less acceptable. However, 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+ years had the lowest acceptance of physically punishing children aged 15-17 years when compared to the 40-49 year olds.

New Zealand Socio-economic Index (NZSEI) occupational categories

• The sample was analysed by NZSEI occupational categories.

• The results of the survey showed no discernible difference between occupations that had higher or lower NZSEI scores. This suggests that there was no difference in attitudes between people with different socio-economic status towards the physical discipline of children.

Footnotes

1 (p<0.01)

2 (p<0.01)

3 (p<0.01)

4 (p<0.01)

5 (p<0.01)

6 (p<0.01)

7 (p<0.01)

8 (p<0.01)

9 (p<0.01)

10 (p<0.01)

11 (p<0.01) With the exception of the 30-39 year olds where the statistically significant difference is at the 95% confidence level.