Exposure to Harsh Parental Punishment and Later Participation in High-Risk
Abstract
Harsh parental punishment does have a lasting effect on children’s behavior. In fact, it can create a level of emotion in children that interferes with learning and slows down their ability to control undesirable behaviors (Carlson, 2009). The goal of the current study was to examine if there was a correlation between exposure to harsh parental punishment and later participation in risky problem behaviors. This study consisted of a total of 85 African-American participants between the ages of 18 and 27. All participants completed surveys that measured perceived severity of parental discipline and participation in high-risk behaviors. Pearson correlations revealed significant relationships between these two sets of variables among these young African-American adults.