Poster Session 1: Children, Parents, and Families in a Therapeutic Context

Presenters: Ashley Martin-Cuellar, Ryan Kelly, Zoe Goodrow

Summary
Research has examined the impact of corporal punishment (CP) on childhood outcomes. Even with recommendations and evidence of harm to the child, parents continue to use of CP as a primary form of discipline. Because of the wide use of CP, it has been identified as a public health issue. Families often seek outside support for behavioral issues and therefore family clinicians' attitudes and beliefs about CP are crucial in disseminating accurate data and information regarding outcomes of CP to parents and families. This goal of this study was to explore clinicians' attitudes and beliefs about corporal punishment use through their narrative descriptions.

Objectives
-- To provide descriptions of clinicians beliefs about corporal punishment use.
-- To present the continuum of categories of clinicians' beliefs about the use of corporal punishment and the narratives provided by clinicians in this sample.
-- To share implications for family clinicians and family service professionals as they work with children and their families.

Subject Codes: parenting, parenting education, public health
Population Codes: early childhood, marriage and family therapists/clinicians
Method and Approach Codes: clinical/therapeutic orientation, family therapy