Original scientific paper
Medical students' convenience sample beliefs and knowledgeof corporal punishment in children
Dunja Baraban
; Klinika za pedijatriju, Klinički bolnički centar Osijek, Hrvatska
Maja Buljubašić
; Klinika za pedijatriju, Klinički bolnički centar Osijek, Hrvatska
Abstract
Modern research has shown that corporal punishment affects and weakens mental health, the quality of the parent–child relationship, self-control and moral standards, while it enhances aggression, delinquency and antisocial behavior. It has been prohibited by law in Croatia since 1998. Nevertheless, in everyday clinical practice, psychologists deal with children who have been corporally punished by their parents, as well as with questions raised by health professionals on the effectiveness of corporal punishments. Health professionals who work with children, have the possibility to talk to parents about the child's upbringing, thus, their knowledge and standpoints can influence the parents' views on keeping children disciplined. Since physicians can be a source of information and support to parents, the aim of this research is to question beliefs and knowledge of prospective physicians on corporal punishment. There were 62 fifth-year medical students participating in the research. The following questionnaires were applied: Beliefs on justifiability and efficacy of corporal punishment, Beliefs on consequences of verbal and corporal punishment and Standpoints of community regarding corporal punishment (Pećnik and Tokić, 2011). The main results have shown that one third of the students approve of an assumption that a child should sometimes get spanked. In total, 43.5% of students are familiar with the fact that corporal punishment is prohibited by law in Croatia, about 25.8% of them answered that they are uncertain if a third person should interfere when it comes to child punishment, and if a parent should hit a child, but 34% of the students think that no one should interfere. They consider physicians' standpoint towards corporal punishment on average to be ''neither pro nor con'', and consider pedagogues, psychologists and social workers as experts who are against corporal punishment. The results have shown that standpoints and views of part of the medical students are not in conformity with applicable laws and the knowledge of corporal punishment. The responses can serve as an incentive for more extensive medical research, as well as education on supportive parenting which improves children's health and family life quality, and the questionnaires can be applied raise awareness and discuss parental behavior bearing a potential harm to child development and dignity.
Keywords
corporal punishment of children; beliefs on corporal punishment; medical students
Hrčak ID:
131216
URI
Publication date:
10.12.2014.
Visits: 2.221 *