anales de psicología, 2018, vol. 34, nº 1 (january), 108-116 © Copyright 2018: Editum. Servicio de Publicaciones de la Universidad de Murcia. Murcia (Spain) http://dx.doi.org/10.6018/analesps.34.1.259601 ISSN print edition: 0212-9728. ISSN web edition (http://revistas.um.es/analesps): 1695-2294 Corporal punishment by parents and child-to-parent aggression in Spanish adolescents Joana Del Hoyo-Bilbao1*, Manuel Gámez-Guadix2, and Esther Calvete1 1 University of Deusto (Spain). 2 Autonomous University of Madrid (Spain). Título: Castigo físico de padres y madres a hijos e hijas y Violencia filio- Abstract: Child-to-parent aggression (CPA) is a social problem that is re- parental entre adolescentes españoles ceiving much attention because of the increasing frequency and the conse- Resumen: La Violencia Filio-parental (VFP) es un problema social que es- quences for its victims. The primary aim of this study was to assess the tá recibiendo gran atención, debido al aumento de su frecuencia y a las longitudinal relationship between receiving corporal punishment (CP) and consecuencias para sus víctimas. El principal objetivo del estudio fue eva- perpetrating physical and psychological CPA in adolescents. The second luar las relaciones longitudinales entre recibir castigo físico (CF) y perpetrar aim was to investigate whether receiving CP in a positive parenting con- VFP física y psicológica en adolescentes. Un segundo objetivo fue estudiar text, age and sex of the adolescent, moderated the relationship between si la relación entre el CF y la VFP es moderada por el contexto parental en CP and CPA. A total of 896 adolescents (527 girls) between the ages of 13 el que el CF es usado, la edad o el género del adolescente. Un total de 896 and 19 (M = 14.88; SD = 1.021), completed measures of CPA, CP and adolescentes (527 chicas) con edades comprendidas entre 13 y 19 (M= positive parenting at Time 1 and six months later. The results showed that 14.88; DT= 1.021) completaron instrumentos de VFP, CF y contexto pa- CP at Time 1 predicted an increased psychological CPA at Time 2. None rental positivo en el Tiempo1 y seis meses después. Los resultados de los of the variables (positive parenting, age and sex) moderated the relation- análisis mostraron que el CF en el Tiempo1 predijo la perpetración de VFP ship between CP at T1 and CPA at T2. These results suggest that CP is re- psicológica en el Tiempo2. Ninguna variable (contexto parental positivo, lated to CPA regardless of the context in which it is used, the age or sex of edad, sexo) moderó la relación entre el CF y la VFP. A su vez, la VFP psi- the child. cológica en el Tiempo1 predijo un incremento de la VFP física en el Tiem- Keywords: Child-to-parent aggression; corporal punishment; adolescent; po2. Estos resultados sugieren que, el CF está relacionado con la VFP con positive parenting, aggression. independencia del contexto en el que es usado, la edad o el sexo del me- nor. Palabras clave: Violencia Filio-parental, castigo físico, adolescente, con- texto parental positivo, agresión. Introduction family violence, has remained hidden (Robinson, Davidson, & Drebot, 2004). Familiar factors are important aspects for The relationships between parents and their children can oc- understanding CPA (Calvete et al., 2015; Gámez-Guadix, casionally escalate to high levels of family conflict (Omer, Jaureguizar, Almendros, & Carrobles, 2012; Hong et al., 2004). Several parent-child relationships transcend the limits 2012). In the last three decades, several authors have empha- of “conflictive relationships” to become “abusive relation- sized the importance of evaluating the disciplinary practices ships” of children to parents. These relationships have been of parents regarding the occurrence of CPA (Calvete, Orue, defined as child-to-parent aggression (CPA) (Cottrell & Gámez-Guadix, Del Hoyo-Bilbao, & López de Arroyabe, Monk, 2004). Although CPA is not a new problem, as indi- 2015; Cottrel, 2005; Harbin & Madden, 1979; Ibabe, 2015). cated in research from the 1980s (Harbin & Madden, 1979; Although recent reviews have indicated mixed results (Hong Peek, Fisher, & Kidwell, 1985), there is still scarce empirical et al., 2012), several studies have shown that parenting prac- evidence available (Aroca-Montolío, Lorenzo-Modelo, & Mi- tices are related with CPA (Calvete, Orue, & Sampedro, ró-Pérez, 2014; Hong, Kral, Espelage, & Allen-Meares, 2012; 2011; Calvete et al., 2015; Gámez-Guadix & Calvete, 2012; Romero, Melero, Cánovas, & Antolín, 2007; Walsh & Ibabe, 2015; Pagani, Tremblay, Nagin, Zoccolillo, Vitaro, & Krienert, 2007). However, in recent years, the number of in- McDuff, 2009). ternational studies focusing on CPA is increasing (Calvete, Regarding parental practices, the strategy that has re- Orue, Gámez-Guadix, & Bushman, 2015; Hong et al., 2012), ceived most empirical attention is corporal punishment (CP). as a result of the considerable interest that CPA is receiving CP is likely to be the most controversial issue related to pa- because of the increasing frequency (Coogan, 2011; Interna- rental discipline (Berlin et al., 2009; Gámez-Guadix, Straus, tional News Agency (EFE), 2009) as well as the serious con- Carrobles, Muñoz-Rivas, & Almendros, 2010). CP is defined sequences for its victims (Paterson, Luntz, Perlesz, & Cot- as the use of physical force with the intention of causing pain ton, 2002). or discomfort in a child to correct or control the child’s be- The severity of the problem and the increasing number havior (Straus, 2001). In Spain, despite the scarcity of the lit- of cases emphasize the need to understand the factors in- erature that has focused on the consequences of CP, the Eu- volved in the development of CPA. CPA, like other types of ropean DAPHNE project indicated that between 50 and 60% of European families justify corporal punishment (Red de Universidades Valencianas para el fomento de la Investi- * Correspondence address [Dirección para correspondencia]: gación, el Desarrollo y la Innovación, 2013), and more than Joana Del Hoyo-Bilbao. Psychology Department of Personality, As- 60% reported having received CP in childhood (Gámez- sessment and Treatment. Avenida de las Universidades 24, -1 Floor. University of Deusto, 48080 Bilbao (Spain). Guadix, Straus et al., 2010). The prevalence of the ac- E-mail: [email protected] ceptance and use of CP in Spain represent a problem be- - 108 - Corporal punishment by parents and child-to-parent aggression in Spanish adolescents 109 cause empirical evidence has shown the link between CP and age (Larzerele, 2000). Larzerele (2000) carried out a literature negative consequences in the short and long term. For in- review in which he found that, when CP is administered at stance, CP has been associated with a greater likelihood of younger ages, it does not have negative consequences. An- aggressive and antisocial behavior (Berlin et al., 2009; other important aspect for understanding the possible con- Gámez-Guadix, Straus, & Hersberguer, 2011; Straus, 2001, sequences of administrating CP is the sex of the child. It 2008; Gámez-Guadix, Straus et al., 2010; Simons, Simons, & seems that the child’s sex does not moderate the relationship Wallace, 2004). Paolucci and Violato (2004), in a meta- between CP and externalizing problems, as was concluded in analysis of 70 studies, found that children who had received a transversal study conducted in the Spanish population CP demonstrated significantly more behavioral problems. (Gámez-Guadix, Straus et al., 2010). Furthermore, there is Additionally, in a meta-analysis of 88 empirical studies, Ger- no agreement about the role of the child’s sex and CPA. Alt- shoff (2002) reported a relationship between CP and numer- hough some studies have indicated that there are no sex dif- ous negative consequences, including externalizing and in- ferences (Gámez-Guadix & Calvete, 2012; Pagani et al., ternalizing problems in children. Furthermore, in a recent 2004, 2009), other studies have suggested that girls are more meta-analysis in which 45 longitudinal studies were analyzed, likely to have higher scores on psychological CPV (e.g., Cal- Ferguson (2013) found that CP was associated with internal- vete et al., 2015; Calvete et al., 2013; Jaureguizar, Ibabe, & izing and externalizing negative consequences, as well as with Straus, 2013) and boys on physical CPV (e.g., Brezina, 1999; worse cognitive efficiency, although the effect size of the re- Calvete et al., 2011; Calvete et al., 2015; Ibabe, Jaureguizar, & lationship was small. Bentler, 2013). As previously indicated, the available results are unclear Moreover, the majority of the studies that focused on the about the relationship between CPA and disciplinary practic- analysis of family strategies and CPA are cross-sectional (for es. This also occurs in the available evidence between CPA exceptions, see Calvete et al., 2015; Brezina, 1999), which is a and CP. For example, in two studies, it was found that CP major limitation of the research to date because it does not was positively associated with CPA (Gámez-Guadix et al., allow for the establishing of longitudinal relationships be- 2012; Pagani et al., 2009). Similarly, in a recent qualitative tween variables (Calvete, Gámez-Guadix, & Orue 2014; study of families seeking assistance from a specialized service Gámez-Guadix et al., 2012). aimed at treating CPA problems, a high percentage of partic- From the results of the available literature, the present ipants (67%) reported the use of CP in their family context study has the following aims. The first aim of this study was (Calvete et al., 2015). However, a correlational study with a to analyze the longitudinal relationship between CP and CPA community sample of 1427 adolescents found that the use of (both physical and psychological) in an adolescent Spanish punishment by the parents, in general, was associated with sample. Because previous studies have reported a cross- less aggression in children (Calvete et al., 2011). Neverthe- sectional relationship between severe discipline and CP with less, the authors of the study concluded that it is not the ap- CPA (Gámez-Guadix et al., 2012; Pagani et al., 2009), we plication of CP what is related to CPA.