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Intergenerational Transmission of Parental Corporal Punishment in China: The Moderating Role of Spouse’s Corporal Punishment

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Abstract

Intergenerational patterns in the transmission of parental corporal punishment and the moderating effects of the spouses’ use of discipline on these patterns in China were examined. A total of 761 father-mother dyads reported on their experience of corporal punishment in childhood and their current use of discipline toward children. Results indicated that corporal punishment was transmitted across generations in China, and the strength of transmission was stronger for mild corporal punishment than for severe corporal punishment. Moreover, fathers’ corporal punishment moderated the transmission of the mothers’ discipline, but the moderating impact of mothers on the fathers’ discipline was absent. These findings suggest that the intergenerational transmission of corporal punishment differs according to severity and is moderated by the spouses’ discipline.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the Humanistic and Social Science Project of Ministry of Education in China (Project No. 11YJA190017) and Key Subject Funds of Shandong Province, P. R. China (2011-2015). We are grateful to all the children, parents, and teachers who participated or contributed to this project.

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  1. Department of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, No. 88 East Wenhua Road, Jinan, 250014, Shandong Province, People’s Republic of China

    Meifang Wang & Xiaopei Xing

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  1. Meifang Wang
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  2. Xiaopei Xing
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Correspondence to Meifang Wang.

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Wang, M., Xing, X. Intergenerational Transmission of Parental Corporal Punishment in China: The Moderating Role of Spouse’s Corporal Punishment. J Fam Viol 29, 119–128 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-013-9574-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-013-9574-1

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