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Table 4 Associations between parents’ and adolescents’ beliefs about the normativity of spanking

From: Associations between spanking beliefs and reported spanking among adolescents-parent/caregiver dyads in a Canadian sample

Parent-reported Spanking Beliefs

Adolescent-reported: Spanking is a normal part of parenting

Disagree

Neither

Agree

Neither vs Disagree (ref)

Agree vs Disagree (ref)

%

%

%

ARRR (95% CI)

ARRR (95% CI)

Spanking is a normal part of parenting

 Disagree (ref)

70.6

43.1

35.6

1.00

1.00

 Neither

20.0

33.8

31.7

2.60 (1.78–3.78) ***

2.98 (1.92–4.61) ***

 Agree

9.4

23.1

32.7

3.84 (2.43–6.08) ***

7.09 (4.38–11.49) ***

Some children need to be spanked so that they will learn a lesson

 Disagree (ref)

72.0

48.1

39.4

1.00

1.00

 Neither

16.3

30.2

27.8

2.74 (1.85–4.05) ***

2.87 (1.82–4.53) ***

 Agree

11.7

21.6

32.8

2.54 (1.64–3.94) ***

4.97 (3.15–7.84) ***

Some children need to be hit so that they will learn a lesson

 Disagree (ref)

93.4

86.3

83.9

1.00

1.00

 Neither

4.7

10.0

10.2

2.35 (1.29–4.28) **

2.47 (1.29–4.74) **

 Agree

1.9

3.7

5.9

1.82 (0.72–4.59)

2.91 (1.18–7.18) *

  1. Abbreviations: ARRR  Adjusted relative risk ratio, CI Confidence interval, ARRR Adjusted for adolescent sex, household income and parent education, ref  reference group
  2. * p < .05; ** p < .01; *** p < .001