Richard A. Dubanoski

Corporal punishment in schools: Myths, problems and alternatives

In many countries, corporal punishment of school children continues to be an officially or unofficially sanctioned form of institutional child abuse. Continuing support for the use of corporal punishment is related to the following factors: (1) widely held beliefs regarding the effectiveness of corporal punishment, (2) an unawareness of problems resulting from the use of physical punishment, and (3) a lack of knowledge about effective disciplinary alternatives. The purpose of this paper is threefold: One is to show that many of the beliefs are myths, e.g., corporal punishment is not needed to build character. The second purpose is to show that physical punishment can lead to more problems than it appears to solve, e.g., the punitive teacher is avoided, and thus, is not a positive factor in the childs education and development. The third purpose is to discuss two types of alternatives to punishment, the social learning approach and communication skills training. These positive methods of discipline not only enhance classroom behavior, but also facilitate learning. In an atmosphere free of abusing and demeaning acts and in a classroom characterized by positive mutual regard, teachers can maximize their effectiveness as teachers and students can maximize their effectiveness as learners.

Analysis and treatment of child abuse: A set of behavioral propositions

Five propositions are presented to suggest the potential of a behavioral approach to the understanding and treatment of child abuse. Each proposition deals with an important source of child abuse: (a) ineffective child management techniques; (b) deliberately punitive child rearing practices; (c) impulsive acts by the parent triggered by the child; (d) high levels of stress; and (e) negative attitude toward the child. For each proposition we discuss supportive findings from both child abuse and general psychological research as well as the additional information that would be needed in order to obtain a better functional analysis of clinical cases. Based on this discussion, behavioral therapy strategies are proposed with special attention being given to the various measures needed to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment programs.

Child abuse and neglect in military and civilian families

Patterns and correlates of child maltreatment were investigated both within the military and between military and civilian families. The results revealed that certain patterns and correlates emerged within the military that were significant. For example, loss of control and lack of tolerance were two major reasons given for abuse by military perpetrators . Also the stresses of family discord, new baby and continuous child care along with relocation and isolation played important roles in the occurrence of abuse within the military. When comparisons were made between military and civilian families, some differences were discovered but many more similarities were found. As an example, the analysis revealed that the stress of broken family was a more important correlate of abuse in civilian than in military cases of abuse. For all the other kinds of stresses (e.g., family discord and isolation), however, one was no more important for military than for civilian perpetrators . Although the patterns and correlates of child abuse and neglect may not be unique to the military, this does not minimize the importance of the problem in the armed forces. Programs of treatment and prevention must be developed and implemented to fit the needs and life styles of military families.

Patterns of child abuse and neglect in Japanese- and Samoan-Americans

Research has revealed child abuse and neglect to be a complex problem with multiple determinants. The purpose of this study was to systematically evaluate cultural aspects of abuse and neglect in Japanese-American and Samoan-American families in Hawaii. Several major areas of interest were delineated and examined: frequency of abuse and neglect, type and severity of abuse, history of childhood abuse for the perpetrator, environmental stress factors and personal factors relevant to the abuse or neglect as reported by the perpetrator. Cultural differences and patterns are reflected throughout the results. Abuse was found to be significantly more frequent in the Samoan-American group than in the Japanese-American group, with the converse being true for neglect. The total amount of environmental stress was found to be equal, but the types of stresses distinguished the two groups. Personal factors precipitating the abuse or neglect also revealed significant cultural differences. Cultural attitudes and behaviors related to child-rearing were reviewed and discussed with regards to the findings of this study. The results provide further evidence that programs of prevention and treatment must consider and reflect the cultural aspects of child abuse and neglect.

Child maltreatment in European- and Hawaiian-Americans

The purpose of this study was to investigate the patterns and possible determinants of child abuse and neglect in European- and Hawaiian-Americans. Abuse was overrepresented in the Hawaiian-Americans while neglect was over-represented in the European-Americans. There were several significant results regarding stress and personal factors that played roles in the maltreatment of the children within each culture. For example, family discord, new baby/continuous child care, loss of control and lack of tolerance were important correlates of abuse for Hawaiian-Americans. The stresses of recent relocation, social isolation and family discord as well as the personal factors of mental health problems and alcohol/drug dependence were important correlates of neglect for European-Americans. The results indicate that to understand the patterns, causes, treatment and prevention of child maltreatment, cultural as well as individual factors must be assessed.

RESISTANCE TO EXTINCTION: A TEST OF THE DISCRIMINATION HYPOTHESIS

To test the discrimination hypothesis of the partial reinforcement effect in extinction, partial or continuous reinforcement trials were interpolated between the initial training trials of partial or continuous reinforcement and the extinction period. 112 children from Grades 2 and 3 participated in one of four conditions. Children receiving two consecutive blocks of partial reinforcement showed the greatest resistance to extinction, children receiving two consecutive blocks of continuous reinforcement showed the weakest resistance, and those receiving partial reinforcement followed by continuous reinforcement or vice versa showed intermediate levels of resistance. Discrimination between training and extinction does not seem to be the critical factor involved in the partial reinforcement effect. The results were discussed in terms of a stimulus analyzer or a sequential analysis model.

An empirical test of Mowrer’s theory of imitation

It would be predicted from Mowrer’s theory of imitation that children who receive candy while watching a model make specific responses would match those specific responses more frequently than would children who did not receive candy. The results of this experiment offered no support for this hypothesis. Mere frequent exposure to the specific responses facilitated the occurrence of imitation.