Annotated Bibliography

Annotated Bibliography

Danso, H., Hunsberger B., & Pratt M. (1997). The role of parental religious fundamentalism and right-wing authoritarianism in child-rearing goals and practices. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 36(4), 496-511.

This peer-reviewed article examines the connections between authoritarianism, religious ideals and parenting goals. It also looks at how these goals affect the choices that parents make with regard to discipline and punishment. This source shows that decisions about the type of punishment used can be influenced by factors such as social and religious beliefs.

Dupper, D. R., & Montgomery Dingus, A. E. (2008). Corporal punishment in U.S. public schools: A continuing challenge for school social workers.

It gives a synopsis of the history, legality, and practice of corporal punishment in U.S. public schools. It presents approaches that address the challenge of reducing the frequency of corporal punishment, which include utilizing alternative forms of discipline. Importantly, this source addresses the influence of religious and cultural beliefs on opinions about corporal punishment.

Gershoff, E., & Eisenberg, N. (2002). Corporal punishment by parents and associated child behaviors and experiences: A meta-analytic and theoretical review. Psychological Bulletin, 128(4), 539-579.

This source is a meta-analysis and review on studies that investigate the connection between corporal punishment and the occurrence of depression, aggression, anti-social behavior and other negative outcomes in children. Gershoff suggests that corporal punishment can lead to physical abuse in some cases, and the possible harmful effects outweigh the benefits. Gershoff also looks how corporal punishment might affect the quality of the parent-child relationship.

Isaacs, D. (2011). Corporal punishment of children: Changing the culture. Journal of Pediatrics and Child Health, 47(8), 491-492. doi:

Cultural differences are presented as valid defense for the use of corporal punishment. The source makes a distinction between punishment and abuse, and suggests that the right to choose which form of punishment is used should remain with the parent, especially in cases where the parent is a part of the cultural minority. Citing cases in which parents lost custody of children or were prosecuted, the article helps shed light on ideas about the influence of cultural traditions on the use of corporal