African American Child Discipline: Differences Between Mothers and Fathers

• Author: Carla Adkison‐Johnson,E. Dorphine Payne,Jamie Burgos,Jeffrey Terpstra
• Published date: 01 April 2016
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/fcre.12214
• Date: 01 April 2016

ADDITIONAL ARTICLES

AFRICAN AMERICAN CHILD DISCIPLINE: DIFFERENCES BETWEEN

MOTHERS AND FATHERS

Carla Adkison-Johnson, Jeffrey Terpstra, Jamie Burgos, and E. Dorphine Payne

Child rearing methods used in African American homes have been the subject of much commentary among social scientists,

child welfare, and legal personnel. Much of the deliberation has centered on firm disciplinary techniques used by African

American mothers. However, few studies have included the perspectives of African American fathers. This study investigated

the differences between African American mothers’ and fathers’ responses in relation to child misbehavior. Several significant

differences were found with mothers utilizing more intense disciplinary methods than African Americanfathers. Results of this

investigation underscored the importance of obtaining the viewpoints of African American fathers as well as mothers in under-

standing parenting in African American homes.

Key Points for the Family Court Community:

African American mothers and fathers use a variety of disciplinary methods to address misbehavior in their children.

When social scientists are preoccupied with African Americans spanking or “whuppin” their children, it becomes eas-

ier for researchers to deny African American parents their intentional (e.g., explained behavioral expectations to child)

and strategic (e.g., hierarchical in nature in that second disciplinary response to misbehavior is more severe than the

first) child-rearing qualities that are associated with being a competent parent.

Helping professionals are reluctant to broach the discussion of child discipline with African American parents.

There is a significant gender effect in the intensity of disciplinary practices among African American parents in that

mothers tend to use more severe disciplinary practices than fathers.

Disciplinary Best Practice Questions can be a way of uniformly assessing disciplinary tactics and making a decision

about when discipline crosses the line to abuse. They could focus investigators, therapists, and judges away from inher-

ent biases and on to the facts of a case.

Keywords: African Americans; Child Discipline; and Physical Punishment.

INTRODUCTION

African American parents are the foundation of the African American family. In turn, the child

disciplinary practices of African American parents have been heavily researched in the social science

literature, helping professionals attempt to meet the child rearing needs of an increasingly diverse

society. However, findings from these studies have generally shown that relative to White American

parents, African American parents use more physical disciplinary practices (e.g., Adkison-Bradley,

2009; Baumrind, Larzelere, & Cowan, 2002; Deater-Deckard, Dodge, Bates, & Pettit, 1996; Greene

& Garner, 2012; Lansford, Deater-Deckard, Dodge, Bates, & Pettit, 2004).

For example, Deater-Deckard et al. (1996) examined the use of physical discipline among African

American and White American mothers of preschool age children and externalizing behaviors. Exter-

nalizing behavior(s) has been defined as specific noncompliant, physically aggressive, defiant, and

delinquent behaviors, often associated with behaviors identified in the delinquent and aggressive

behaviors domains on the Child Behavior Checklist (e.g., bragging, boasting, disobedient at home or

at school, gets in many fights, prefers being with older kids, talks too much, unusually loud, threatens

Correspondence: carla.adkison-johnson@wmich.edu, jeffrey.terpstra@wmich.edu, e.d.paynelaw@gmail.com

FAMILY COURT REVIEW, Vol. 54 No. 2, April 2016 203–220

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C2016 Association of Family and Conciliation Courts

people; Doyle & McCarty, 2002). Results indicated that African American children were more likely

to receive physical discipline. The interaction between the race of the mother and discipline was sig-

nificant for externalizing child behaviors in that physical discipline was associated with externalizing

behavior problems for White American children. However, there was not a significant association

between the experience of physical discipline and subsequent behavior problems for African Ameri-

can children. Researchers concluded that African American parents may administer physical disci-

pline in an emotionally controlled, normative manner and African American children may not view

their parents’ use of physical discipline as a lack of warmth or concern.

Likewise, Lansford et al’s (2004) longitudinal study of African American and White American

adolescent externalizing behaviors showed that African American mothers used higher levels of

physical discipline with their adolescent children than White American mothers. The study also

found that physical discipline was related to higher levels of resultant externalizing behaviors for

White American adolescent children, but lower levels of externalizing behaviors for African Ameri-

can children. McLoyd and Smith (2002) noted in their study of physical discipline and behavioral

problems that African American mothers initiated spanking early in the lives of children; however,

they ceased the use of physical discipline sooner than White American and Hispanic mothers.

Several recent studies have attempted to probe deeper into the finding of cultural differences in effects

of corporal punishment. For instance, Roche, Glazarian, Little, and Levernthal (2011) used longitudinal

data to examine reciprocity and contextual variability in associations between maternal punitive discipline

and adolescent adjustment in families of color; specifically, a sample of majority African American and

Latino low income mothers with adolescent children participated in the study. Punitive discipline was

defined as spanking, scolding, threatening to spank, or threatening to punish. Context variability in this

study was described as vulnerable communities (e.g., disordered neighborhoods marked by gangs, illicit

drug trades, mugging) where families of color might live. Findings indicated punitive discipline was asso-

ciated with delinquency and depressive symptoms among early and middle adolescent youth. Punitive

parenting was also tied to low adjusting late adolescent children whose mothers perceived their neighbor-

hoods to be safer environments for raising children. Researchers concluded that youth behaviors might

play a stronger role in shaping parenting behaviors during the adolescent stage of development.

Lorber, O’Leary, and Slep Smith (2011) examined the hypothesis that corporal punishment is less

strongly associated with parental emotion and impulsivity among AfricanAmerican parents, in contrast

to White American parents (as suggestedin Deater-Deckard et al., 1996) study. A sample of 57 African

American, 730 White American, and 78 Latino medium families participated in the study. Impulsivity

was measured by having each parent complete the Hyperactive-Impulsive subscale of the Adult Atten-

tion Deficit Disorders Evaluation scale. Corporal punishment (e.g., spanked bottom with bare hand, hit

on bottom with something like a belt, hair brush, a stick, or some other object) was measured by the

extent of use of corporal punishment each week. Researchers found that the association of corporal

punishment with parents’ impulsivity and emotions did not significantly vary by race/ethnicity. These

results held true despite the fact that corporal punishment was on average used more and viewed more

favorably among African American parents, in contrast to their White and Latino counterparts. A limi-

tation of this study was the majority of research participants were White American.Also, the context in

which corporal punishment was actually used by theparent was not identified in this investigation.

Over the last 20 years, an emerging literature has reported that African American parents use a

wide variety of child disciplinary techniques (e.g., Bradley, 1998a; Brodsky & DeVet, 2000; Denby

& Alford, 1996; Greene & Garner, 2012; Lansford, Wager, Bates, Dodge, & Pettit, 2012; Thomas &

Dettlaff, 2011) that are often predicated by the age of the child and the context of a particular discipli-

nary episode (e.g., Adkison-Bradley, Terpstra, & Dormitorio, 2014; Bradley, 2000). For instance,

Bradley (1998a) studied the disciplinary styles of African American working class mothers and

fathers. She found that parents employed less coercive disciplinary techniques for mild contextual

situations (e.g., discuss matter with children), slightly more coercive techniques for moderate contex-

tual situations (e.g., order child not to, give child warning look, withdrawal of privileges), and

reserved the most coercive techniques for severe contextual situations. She also noted that the age of

the child was a significant factor for moderate and severe contextual situations (e.g., physical

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