Communication and Corporal Punishment: The Relationship between Self-Report Parent Verbal and Physical Aggression

Abstract

A two-part study was conducted to determine the relationship between parents' use of verbal aggression and physical aggression (i.e., corporal punishment). In part one, 207 undergraduate students filled out a survey rating their mother's and father's verbal aggression and use of corporal punishment. In part two, mail surveys measuring verbal aggression and corporal punishment were sent to 389 parents; 79% of parents returned the surveys. As hypothesized, there were a significant positive relationships between perceived parent verbal aggression and corporal punishment, as well as between self-report parent verbal aggression and corporal punishment. Additional research questions are tested, and results and implications are discussed.

Keywords:

• Corporal Punishment
• Parent–Child Communication
• Verbal Aggression

Notes

∗Paired-sample t-tests revealed that children rated both fathers, t(138) = 6.86, p < .001, r = .50, and mothers, t(160) = 8.54, p < .001, r = .56 as more verbally aggressive than parents rated themselves. Further, two-tailed Pearson correlations revealed low to moderate positive correlations between perceived and self-report father verbal aggression (r = .31, df = 137, p < .001) and between perceived and self-report mother verbal aggression (r = .26, df = 159, p < .001).

^†Two-tailed paired-sample t-tests revealed that children rated mothers, t(161) = 2.55, p < .01, r = .20, but not fathers, t(138) = 1.08, p > .05, as using more corporal punishment than parents rated themselves. Further, two-tailed Pearson correlations revealed moderate to strong positive correlations between perceived and self-report father corporal punishment (r = .30, df = 135, p < .001) and between perceived and self-report mother corporal punishment (r = .49, df = 160, p < .001).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Anthony J. Roberto

Anthony Roberto (Ph.D., Michigan State University, 1994) is assistant professor.

Kellie E. Carlyle

Kellie Carlyle (M.A., Wake Forest University, 2003) is doctoral student in the School of Communication at The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210.

Catherine E. Goodall

Catherine Goodall (B.A., Ohio State University, 2005) is doctoral student in the School of Communication at The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210.