Zolotor, A. J., Theodore, A. D., Runyan, D. K., Chang, J. J., & Laskey, A. L. (2011). Corporal punishment and physical abuse: population-based trends for three-to-11-year-old children in the United States. Child Abuse Review, 20(1), 57-66;
The aim of this study is to explore the trends in corporal punishment and physical abuse of three-to-11-year olds, the children most likely to be subjected to corporal punishment. Using nationally representative samples, National Family Violence Surveys (NFVS) was conducted via in-person interviews in 1975 and by telephone in 1985 with 1139 and 3360 families with children, respectively. Changes in sampling technique reflect changes in survey research in the US over the past four decades. Changes in the sample composition reflect changes in US demographics including more racial and ethnic minority families and older mothers. The result demonstrates an overall decline in the spanking and slapping of children. Between 1975 and 2002, 18 per cent fewer children were slapped or spanked by caregivers. The rate of reported behavior is given per 1000, followed in parenthesis by the 95 per cent confidence interval, an estimate of precision