This study tested the hypothesis that there is a relationship between parents' attitudes toward spanking and their history of having been spanked themselves when they were children. Additionally, it tested the hypothesis that younger parents, relative to older ones, would report stronger beliefs in spanking. Finally, this study explored whether parents educated about the effects of corporal punishment (CP) and about alternate techniques to discipline children would report diminished attitudinal support for CP. One hundred participants completed questionnaires regarding CP. This study found that parents who were spanked as children were more likely to attain higher scores on the pretreatment questionnaire than parents who were not spanked as children; indicating that having been spanked as a child is associated with reporting more acceptance of CP than not having been spanked. A paired sample t test found that educating the general population on the effects of CP and effective ways to discipline children decreased attitudinal support for CP. This study failed to find support for the hypothesis that younger parents are more likely to engage in CP than are older parents. Specifically, this study found no relationship between parent age and the use of CP. Practical implications and future research considerations are discussed.
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