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PARENTAL PHYSICAL PUNISHMENT: 
​CONSEQUENCES FOR CHILDREN

mother and infant
One important way to stem the tide of child maltreatment is to address parenting practices that place children at risk for abuse. Corporal punishment (also referred to as spanking) is used by the majority of U.S. parents and is associated with greater risk for child abuse. Dr. Lee's ongoing research examines parental spanking of young children, with a focus on understanding parent-child transactional links between parental spanking and the development of child aggressive behavior. Results of these studies suggest that reducing parental corporal punishment is a promising approach to prevent child maltreatment and physical abuse. 

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Shawna J. Lee
Picture
COLLABORATORS
Inna Altschul, Elizabeth Gershoff, Catherine Taylor, Andrew Grogan-Kaylor, Kaitlin Ward, & Garrett Pace
RELATED PUBLICATIONS
​AND PRESENTATIONS
  • Ma, J., Lee, S.J., & Grogan-Kaylor, A. (2021). Adverse childhood experiences and spanking have similar associations with early behavior problems. The Journal of Pediatrics. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2021.01.072
  • Grogan-Kaylor, A., Ma, J., Lee, S.J., Castillo, B., *Ward, K., & Klein, S. (2018). Using Bayesian analysis to examine associations between spanking and child externalizing behavior across race and ethnic groups. Child Abuse & Neglect, 86, 257-266. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2018.10.009
  • Ma, J., Grogan-Kaylor, A., & Lee, S.J. (2018). Associations of neighborhood disorganization and maternal spanking with children's aggression: A fixed-effects regression analysis. Child Abuse & Neglect, 76, 106-116. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2017.10.013 
  • Grogan-Kaylor, A., Burlaka, V., Ma, J., Lee, S.J., Castillo, B., & Churakova, I. (2018). Predictors of parental use of corporal punishment in Ukraine. Children and Youth Services Review, 88, 66-73. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.03.003
  • Lee, S.J. (2018, March). Having the conversation about hitting: Incidence, effects, and alternatives to physical punishment. Invited webinar given for Child Abuse Prevention Month for the National Child Abuse and Neglect Technical Assistance and Strategic Dissemination Center (CANTASD), Children’s Bureau, Office of Child Abuse & Neglect, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
  • Taylor, C.A., Fleckman, J.A., & Lee, S.J. (2017). Attitudes, beliefs, and perceived norms about corporal punishment and related training needs among members of the "American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children". Child Abuse & Neglect, 71, 56-68. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2017.04.009
  • Gershoff, E.T., Lee, S.J., & Durrant, J. (2017). Promising intervention strategies to reduce parents’ use of spanking and physical punishment. Child Abuse & Neglect, 71, 9-23.  doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2017.01.017
  • Afifi, T.O., Ford, D., Gershoff, E.T., Merrick, M., Ports, K., Grogan-Kaylor, A., MacMillan, H., Holden, G., Taylor, C.A., Lee, S.J., & Bennett, R.P. (2017). Spanking and adult mental health impairment: The case for the designation of spanking as an Adverse Childhood Experience. Child Abuse & Neglect, 71, 24-31. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2017.01.014
  • Taylor, C.A., Al-Hiyari, R., Lee, S.J., Priebe, A., Guerrero, L.W., & Bales, A.E. (2016). Beliefs and ideologies linked with approval of corporal punishment: A content analysis of online comments. Health Education Research, 31, 563-575. doi:10.1093/her/cyw029. 
  • Altschul, I., Lee, S.J., & Gershoff, E.T. (2016). Hugs, not hits: Warmth and spanking as predictors of child social competence. Journal of Marriage and Family, 78, 695-714. doi: 10.1111/jomf.12306
  • Lee, S.J. & Altschul, I. (2015). Spanking of young children: Do immigrant and U.S.-born Hispanic parents differ? Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 30, 475-498. doi: 10.1177/0886260514535098
  • Lee, S.J., Altschul, I., & Gershoff, L. (2015). Wait until your father gets home? Fathers’ and mothers’ spanking and development of child aggression. Children and Youth Services Review, 52, 158-166. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2014.11.006
  • Lee, S.J., Grogan-Kaylor, A., & Berger, L. (2014). Parental spanking of 1-year-old children and subsequent Child Protective Services involvement. Child Abuse & Neglect, 38, 875-883. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2014.01.018
  • Lee, S.J., Taylor, C.A., Altschul, I., & Rice, J. (2013). Parental spanking and subsequent risk for child aggression in father-involved families of young children. Children and Youth Services Review, 35, 1476-1485. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2013.05.016
  • Lee, S.J., Altschul, I., & Gershoff, E.T. (2013). Does warmth moderate longitudinal associations between maternal spanking and child aggression in early childhood? Developmental Psychology, 49, 2017-2028. doi: 10.1037/a0031630
  • Lee, S.J., Perron, B.E., Taylor, C.A., & Guterman, N.B. (2011). Paternal psychosocial characteristics and corporal punishment of their 3-year old children. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 26, 71-87. doi: 10.1177/0886260510362888
  • Altschul, I., & Lee, S.J. (2011). Direct and mediated effects of nativity and other indicators of acculturation on Hispanic mothers’ use of physical aggression. Child Maltreatment, 16, 261-273. doi: 10.1177/1077559511421523
  • Taylor, C.A., Lee, S.J., Guterman, N.B., & Rice, J. (2010). Use of spanking for 3 year-old children and associated intimate partner aggression or violence. Pediatrics, 126, 415-424. doi: 10.1542/peds.2010-0314
  • Taylor, C.A., Manganello, J.A., Lee, S.J., & Rice, J.C. (2010). Mothers' spanking of 3-year-old children and subsequent risk of children's aggressive behavior. Pediatrics, 125, e1057-e1065. doi: 10.1542/peds.2009-2678
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View Completed Project 2 >

EMAIL

shawnal@umich.edu

Phone

734-763-6565

ADDRESS

University of Michigan
School of Social Work
1080 S. University
Ann Arbor, MI 48109

connection

​Dr. Shawna J. Lee is Director of the Parenting in Context Research Lab, which operates as a part of the University of Michigan School of Social Work.
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​​© 2022 by the Regents of the University of Michigan. Do not utilize or distribute any materials found on this website without prior approval from the University of Michigan School of Social Work. For permissions or questions, please call the University of Michigan School of Social Work at 734-763-6565, or email us at parentingincontext@umich.edu.
  • Home
  • Research Projects
    • Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey Studies
    • Learn About the Stress and Parenting During a Pandemic
    • Transactional Processes Supporting Father Involvement
    • Healthy Start Engaged Father Program >
      • Engaged Father Toolkit
    • DadTime Mobile App Project
    • Men's Health, Fatherhood, and Relationships Study
    • Completed: Parental Physical Punishment
    • Completed: Text4Dad
    • Completed: Fathers and Risk for Child Maltreatment
    • Completed: CBPR Parenting Support for Fathers
    • Completed: mDad (Mobile Device Assisted Dad)
    • Completed: Stay-at-home Fathers
    • Completed: Positive Tech
  • Team
  • Publications
  • News & Events
    • Events
    • Recent Activities
    • Media
  • Collaborators