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57 Connection between physical punishment of children and their depression and anxiety

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 June 2014

Lastric Gordana
Lastric Gordana*
Affiliation:
Psychiatric Service, Cantonal Hospital Zenica Crkvice 67, 72000 Zenica, Bosna i Hercegovina, E-mail: goca13@yahoo.com
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Abstract

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Introduction/Objectives:

Physical punishment is part of raising children and it is at the centre of interest for psychologists, pedagogues, jurists etc. The motive for this work was my own experience in everyday life, and my impression that many parents often use physical punishment as a way to keep discipline up and to attain desired behavior by their children. The use of physical punishment on children creates a number ofphysical, psychological and sexual problems. The aim of this paper is to show the connection between physical punishment and children's depression and anxiety.

Participants, Materials/Methods:

Methodology Data for this research was collected from a sample of 284 primary school pupils from Canton Sarajevo. The pupils came from 5th until 8th grade; age from 11 to 14. A written was obtained from both the ministry of education and the parents. The children completed “Youth Self-Report” YSR 6–18 witch is one component of the Achenbach system of empirically based analysis (ASEBA).

Results:

Results showed a statistical difference between punished and unpunished children on the anxious-depression scale (YSR-P = 0.009) and on the scale internal problems (YSR-P = 0.046).

Conclusions:

Punished children expressed a more degree of depression, anxiety and internal problems compared to unpunished children. These findings are in accordance with previous international studies.