Transforming parents' beliefs about physical punishment through 'positive discipline in everyday parenting'

Globally, almost one billion children regularly experience physical punishment at the hands of their caregivers (UNICEF, 2015). Changing the entrenched beliefs that perpetuate this high global prevalence is a daunting... [ view full abstract ]

Globally, almost one billion children regularly experience physical punishment at the hands of their caregivers (UNICEF, 2015). Changing the entrenched beliefs that perpetuate this high global prevalence is a daunting challenge. These beliefs are often handed down across generations, reinforced by laws, supported by religious interpretations, and embedded in traditions. Approaches are needed that can provide parents with a new lens through which to view children as people with rights to dignity, protection and participation in their learning. ‘Positive Discipline in Everyday Parenting’ (PDEP) provides such a lens. Created through an academic-NGO (Save the Children) partnership, PDEP is an interactive community-based parenting program founded on developmental research and child rights standards. It was designed as a primary violence prevention program that could be delivered in a wide range of cultural and social contexts. It aims to transform parents’ beliefs about ‘everyday violence’ by gradually shifting their focus from control to mentorship, and from reactive punishment to proactive problem solving. This symposium will begin with an overview of PDEP – its origins, evolution, objectives, content and methods of training and delivery. This will be followed by four case studies of PDEP’s implementation in widely diverse contexts – Japan, Kosovo, Bangladesh and Canada. These countries represent a range of cultural traditions, sociodemographic contexts, and levels of development. Each case study will: 1) describe the social and cultural contexts in which PDEP was delivered; 2) explain how the program was adapted for that setting; and 3) examine changes over the course of the program in parents’ beliefs about physical punishment and their perceptions of PDEP’s impact on their parenting.