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Preventing Punitive Violence: Preliminary Data on the Positive Discipline in Everyday Parenting (PDEP) Program

Publication: Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health
3 November 2014

Abstract

Most physical violence against children is punitive in intent. The United Nations has called for the elimination of physical punishment of children and for the development of programs teaching nonviolent resolution of parent-child conflict. A focused effort is required to shift entrenched, intergenerationally transmitted, and culturally normalized belief systems about physical punishment. Positive Discipline in Everyday Parenting (PDEP) was developed to meet this need. Its short-term objectives are to: 1) reduce approval of physical punishment; 2) normalize parent-child conflict; and 3) strengthen parenting self-efficacy. PDEP was delivered by trained program facilitators to 321 parents living in 14 cities in Canada. Responses to pre and posttest questionnaires suggest that parents who completed postprogram measures were less likely to both approve of physical punishment and view typical parent-child conflict as misbehaviour on the part of the child, and also to have greater parenting self-efficacy. More than 90% believed more strongly that parents should not use physical punishment, and that PDEP would help them control their anger and build stronger relationships with their children. PDEP is a promising approach to the prevention of punitive violence against children.

Résumé

Derrière la violence faite aux enfants, la plupart du temps, il y a l'intention de les punir. Les Nations unies ont appelé à l’élimination des châtiments corporels infligés aux enfants et à la mise sur pied de programmes d’éducation sur la résolution non violente des conflits parents-enfants. Des efforts ciblés sont donc nécessaires pour transformer des systèmes de croyances liées aux châtiments corporels; ces croyances, bien établies et transmises de génération en génération, sont devenues des normes culturelles. L'outil « L a discipline positive au quotidien à la maison » (DP QM) a été créé dans ce but, ses objectifs à court terme étant: 1. d’éliminer graduellement le caractère acceptable et adéquat associé aux châtiments corporels; 2. de proposer aux parents des normes différentes à propos des conflits parents-enfants; 3. de renforcer l'auto-efficacité des parents. Des animateurs ayant reçu une formation pertinente ont fourni l'outil DP QM à 321 parents de 14 villes canadiennes, et les participants ont répondu à un questionnaire avant et après avoir utilisé l'outil. Les réponses suggèrent que ces parents étaient par la suite moins susceptibles d'approuver les châtiments corporels et de considérer que les conflits vécus avec leurs enfants étaient dus à de mauvais comportements de ceux-ci, et plus susceptibles d'avoir une meilleure auto-efficacité. Ainsi, plus de 90% d'entre eux croyaient que les parents ne devraient pas avoir recours à des châtiments corporels et que l'outil DP QM pouvait les aider à mieux contrôler leur colère et à établir de meilleures relations avec leurs enfants. Cet outil est donc une approche prometteuse pour prévenir la violence infligée aux enfants.

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Information & Authors

Information

Published In

cover image Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health
Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health
Volume 33Number 2December 2014
Pages: 109 - 125

History

Version of record online: 3 November 2014

Key Words

  1. physical punishment
  2. parent education
  3. positive discipline
  4. prevention
  5. child abuse
  6. parental attitudes
  7. violence

Mots-clés

  1. châtiment corporel
  2. scolarité des parents
  3. discipline positive
  4. prévention
  5. maltraitance des enfants
  6. comportement des parents
  7. violence

Authors

Affiliations

Joan E. Durrant
University of Manitoba
Dominique Pierre Plateau
Christine Ateah
University of Manitoba
Ashley Stewart-Tufescu
University of Manitoba
Alysha Jones
University of Manitoba
Gia Ly
University of Manitoba
Leslie Barker
Alberta Health Services
George W. Holden
Southern Methodist University
Colleen Kearley
Eastern Health, Newfoundland and Labrador
Janice MacAulay
Canadian Association of Family Resource Programs
Ray DeV. Peters
Sombat Tapanya

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