Examining the Moderating Role of Parental Stress in the Relationship between Parental Beliefs on Corporal Punishment and Its Utilization as a Behavior Correction Strategy among Colombian Parents

Understanding beliefs about corporal punishment is crucial, as evidence suggests that
positive beliefs in its effectiveness predict its use. High parental stress, especially in those valuing
corporal punishment, increases the potential for child abuse. Factors such as having many children
or low education and socioeconomic status contribute to parental tensions, leading to the use of
corporal punishment for behavior correction. We posit that the accumulation of such variables results
in heightened stress levels. Our focus aimed to determine the moderating role of stress levels among
parental beliefs about corporal punishment and its reported use through quantitative research. In our
study, 853 Colombian parents of low, middle, and high socioeconomic status, and from four different
regions of Colombia, with children aged 0 to 17 participated. They provided information about their
beliefs on corporal punishment, using the Beliefs and Punishment Scale. Correlations indicated that
older parents with better socioeconomic status were less inclined to believe that strictness improves
children. Regressions suggested that increased belief in corporal punishment modifying behavior,
along with higher parental stress, increases corporal punishment use. Moderation models highlighted
that when more stressors were present, corporal punishment was used due to stress rather than
parental beliefs. Ultimately, stress emerged as a crucial factor influencing corporal punishment use
among Colombian parents.