Corporal punishment: What the research says

In 2021, Singapore Children’s Society, in collaboration with Yale-NUS College, embarked on a research project comprising two mixed-methods studies that focused on parental disciplinary practices in Singapore, with specific attention on the use of physical discipline.

Singapore parents frequently used a combination of non-physical, physical, and psychological discipline methods in their parenting. Many parents who perceived physical discipline to be neither effective nor acceptable still used it frequently, suggesting a disconnect between their attitudes and actual behaviour. Infants, pre-schoolers, and primary schoolers were more likely to be at the receiving end of physical discipline.

Our findings also suggest that even if parents disapprove of the use of physical discipline, experiencing it as a child increases the likelihood of them using it on their children.

More information on the study can be found in the study brief.

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