Sex Differences in the Effects of Parents’ Use of Corporal Punishment on Children’s Aggressive Behavior

Abstract

The current study investigates the sex differences in the link between parents’ use of corporal punishment (CP) and the subsequent change in children’s aggressive behaviour using the propensity score matching technique—a statistical tool used to correct selection bias in observational studies. Analyses based on data from 697 school children drawn from the first four waves of the Zurich Project on the Social Development of Children (z-proso) indicate significant sex differences: Boys who experience CP at age 9 display increased levels of aggressive behaviour problems during the following two years, whereas no significant association is found for girls. Findings suggest that etiological factors for aggressive behaviour may not be common in boys and girls, and thus somewhat different intervention and prevention strategies for child aggressive behaviour might be needed for boys and girls

Keywords

• Sex differences, parental use of corporal punishment, aggressive behaviour, propensity score matching, European sample

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