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International journal of psychology : Journal international de psychologie
Feb, 2020;55 (1): 106-114.

Perception, use and abolition of corporal punishment among high school teachers in a district in southwestern Nigeria.

Sunday B Fakunmoju
Author Information
  1. Sunday B Fakunmoju: Westfield State University, Department of Social Work, Westfield, MA, USA.
PMID: 30338848 DOI: 10.1002/ijop.12542

Abstract

Students in many regions of the world experience corporal punishment in multiple settings, although what is currently known about corporal punishment is derived from parental corporal punishment. Using a convenience sample of 271 teachers in 14 public and private secondary schools in a district in southwestern Nigeria, this article describes the associations between perception, use and support for abolition of corporal punishment. Results suggest that having children, more corporal punishment of own children and higher frequency of corporal punishment by colleagues were associated with frequent use of corporal punishment. Frequency of corporal punishment by colleagues accounted for the strongest variance in frequent use of corporal punishment. Lower corporal punishment of own children was associated with higher endorsement of abolition of corporal punishment from schools, whereas being male was associated with higher endorsement of abolition of corporal punishment from society. Teachers endorsed abolition of corporal punishment not only from schools but also from society. These findings highlight the "bandwagon" effect and teacher characteristics as potential risk factors for sustained perpetration and transmission of corporal punishment and draw attention to the need for intervention on alternative approaches to corporal punishment that could facilitate the abolition of corporal punishment from home and schools.

Keywords

Abolition of corporal punishment Corporal punishment Physical abuse Schools Student disciplinary practices Teachers

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Grants

  1. /University Research Grant Program at Westfield State University, Massachusetts

MeSH Term

Adolescent
Adult
Child Abuse
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Humans
Male
Nigeria
Perception
Punishment
School Teachers
Journal Article

Word Cloud

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