Exploring Racially Diverse College Students’ Perspectives on Child Discipline: A Qualitative Study

Alesia O. Hawkins, Mandy M. Rabenhorst-Bell, Melanie D. Hetzel-Riggin

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate racially diverse college students’ own perspective of child discipline strategies to determine whether the context and administration of these strategies varies by ethnicity/race. A total of 124 undergraduate students completed open-ended semi-structured interviews responding to questions about their own definitions of various terms used for child discipline. Inductive content analysis and coding of themes were carried out using appropriate qualitative software and quantitative data analysis procedures. Similar themes emerged when defining “spanking” across ethnic/racial groups. However, ethnic/racial differences were found regarding the meaning and administration of the physical discipline strategy of “whipping”. Understanding the underlying intention and purpose of discipline strategies across ethnicity/racial groups is warranted.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)73-82
Number of pages10
JournalJournal of Child and Adolescent Trauma
Volume8
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 10 2015

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Emergency Medicine
  • Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine

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