Reducing corporal punishment
Regarding “Teaming Up to Change Child Discipline” (October Monitor): Getting families to change from corporal punishment to another form of discipline is much more difficult than the article would suggest. Frequently, children and families are referred to treatment by the school, pediatrician, family services, emergency department or divorce lawyer for concerns such as depression, behavior issues or anxiety—it is less likely to be a self-referral. Corporal punishment has often been handed down from generation to generation and the notion that it could be considered abusive is foreign to the parents. What has worked in my practice is to ask the parents to bring in a calendar marked with the dates the patient has been spanked and for what reasons. The act of weekly bringing in the calendar tends to reduce the incidence of spanking. I also suggest to the parents and caretakers that more positive attention be given to the child, such as reading at bedtime, even if the child has had a “bad” day. After many weeks, as an alliance has been built, I make suggestions for other forms of discipline. With time and treatment for other issues the child may have, such as depression and anxiety, the parents spank less. More than likely the rate goes down to zero.
Carl Tishler, PhD, ABPP
Columbus, Ohio
Our favorite tweets
“Re: Retooling Psych 101” (October)
@kristen_psy A very important class that should not be overlooked. Excited to see this!
@Russwarne Interesting @APA_Monitor article on an @APA initiative to improve introductory #psychology courses
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@Cassie_Boness As scientists, we must engage in dissemination if we want our work to have an impact. It’s absolutely imperative. Don’t know where to start? Universities often have great resources for helping you articulate and share your work! Excellent feature, @APA_Monitor.
Re: “Psychotherapy in China” (October)
@sergiosalexa It’s so unfortunate that psychotherapy is so hard to come across in some countries, especially those with as much stress on their citizens as China. I’m glad steps are being taken to make it more accessible to accommodate for the demands #ltns110