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Harsh parenting during early childhood and child development

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  • Berthelon, Matias
  • Contreras, Dante
  • Kruger, Diana
  • Palma, María Isidora

Abstract

We study the relationship between harsh parenting strategies, including psychological and physical aggressions that do not constitute abuse, on early childhood cognitive and socio-emotional development. We estimate a value-added model that controls for a rich set of child, mother, and family characteristics, from a nationally representative sample of Chilean children aged 52–83 months. We find harsh parenting is significantly associated with lower verbal skills (Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test) of a magnitude of 0.06 standard deviations, and with increased behavioral problems (Child Behavior Check List), by 0.11 standard deviations, including internalization, externalization, and sleep problems. We also find that the more systematic (persistent) harsh parenting is, the stronger the association; the association is similar for boys and girls; reaches its peak at about 5 years of age; and it is stronger for children with less educated mothers.

Suggested Citation

  • Berthelon, Matias & Contreras, Dante & Kruger, Diana & Palma, María Isidora, 2020. "Harsh parenting during early childhood and child development," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 36(C).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:ehbiol:v:36:y:2020:i:c:s1570677x19301327
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2019.100831
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Harsh parenting; Violence toward children; Spanking; Corporal punishment; Child development; Cognitive and socio-emotional outcomes; Chile;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O15 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Economic Development: Human Resources; Human Development; Income Distribution; Migration
    • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being

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