Shouting, hitting linked to toddler behavior problems in 14 nations

Takeaway: The study combined parent reports with a standard behavior checklist across five common disciplinary practices.

Why might parenting and behavior influence each other?

Behavioral and emotional problems in early childhood can harm education, social relationships and mental health. They can persist into adolescence and adulthood, although some children change the type of difficulty they show as they grow.

Prior research has linked harsh parenting—physical punishment, shouting, humiliation and other hostile or demeaning treatment—to more behavior and emotional problems in children. Those associations have also reached adulthood, where harsh childhood discipline is linked to depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, substance-use problems and antisocial behavior.

By contrast, warmth, clear expectations, consistent boundaries and respect for children’s growing independence are generally associated with fewer difficulties. Nonviolent techniques such as time-outs and temporary withdrawal of privileges are also used in parenting interventions designed to improve behavior.

A 62-country study found more coercive parenting associated with poorer social and emotional development in 95% of the countries examined. The relationship is bidirectional: parenting can influence children’s behavior, and children’s difficulties can change how parents respond.

Takeaway: Discipline and behavior can shape each other, making the direction of influence difficult to establish.

How did the findings vary across countries?

The link between taking away privileges and behavior problems surprised the researchers because parent-training programs often recommend it. They offered three possible explanations: parents may use it in response to existing problems, deliver it in an aggressive tone, or face toddlers too young to benefit.

Links between shouting or hitting and internalizing problems varied across countries. They were strongest in the Chinese sample and weakest in the U.S. and Finnish samples. One possible explanation in China is that these practices induce shame, which Chinese socialization emphasizes and which has been linked there to internalizing symptoms. The researchers said that idea needs further study.

Links with externalizing problems appeared more consistent across countries. Shouting was most common in Russia, China and Brazil and least common in Chile and the United States. Hitting was most frequent in Brazil and least frequent in Finland, while privilege withdrawal was most frequent in Spain and least frequent in Russia.

Takeaway: The broad pattern crossed cultures, although its strength and the frequency of each practice varied.

What can the study prove?

The authors said education and behavioral interventions could reduce coercive discipline and might prevent emotional and behavioral issues. Ela Sehic and colleagues concluded: “Our results provide support for existing research indicating that parental guidance to abstain from coercive disciplinary approaches yields protective effects, suggesting these can be expected across countries.”

Because the study was cross-sectional, it captured associations at one point rather than changes over time, so it cannot show that discipline caused behavior problems. Children’s existing difficulties may prompt harsher responses, and other factors may explain both discipline and behavior.

Mothers reported both practices and problems, which creates room for reporting bias. Each discipline practice came from one questionnaire item, and researchers had not established its reliability, meaning whether it consistently captures the same behavior.

Country samples were relatively small. With only 14 countries, the study had limited statistical power, meaning too little data to reliably detect cultural differences.

The paper, “Links between Discipline Practices and Early Childhood Behavior Problems: Universal or Culture-Specific?”, was published in Child Psychiatry & Human Development.

The paper names Ela Sehic, Christie Pham, Eric E. Desmarais, Brian French, Katri Raikkonen, Kati Heinonen and Carmen Gonzalez-Salinas. It also names Zhengyan Wang, Roseriet Beijers, Carolina de Weerth, Blanca Huitron, Emine Ahmetoglu, Oana Benga, Mirjana Majdandžić and Helena Slobodskaya.

It lists Elena Kozlova, Rosario Montirosso, Annalisa Castagna, Maria Beatriz Martins Linhares, Soile Tuovinen, Seong-Yeon Park, Sae-Young Han and Eun Gyoung Lee. Final names are Felipe Lecannelier, Sara Casalin, Ibrahim Acar, Samuel P. Putnam, Magen Lowe and Maria A. Gartstein.

Takeaway: The findings identify patterns worth acting on, not proof that harsh discipline creates behavior problems.