Prevalence and risk factors for parental use of emotional punishment: Results from a subsample of parents in a German National Representative Study.

BACKGROUND

Emotional punishment (EP) as a parental discipline method remains underexplored, despite its potential risk for child maltreatment (CM). In Germany, children have a legal right to a violence-free upbringing, yet EP is still partly accepted, and its subtypes, prevalence and risk factors remain insufficiently understood.

OBJECTIVE

This study examines the prevalence of EP among German parents, identifies key risk factors, especially parental child emotional abuse (CEA) history, and explores interaction effects.

PARTICIPANTS AND

SETTING

A subsample of 1340 parents from a nationally representative German survey (July-October 2021) reported on EP use, CM history, parental stress, and sociodemographic characteristics.

METHODS

Cross-sectional analyses included descriptive statistics, hierarchical logistic regression models, and exploratory moderation analyses.

RESULTS

61.5% of parents reported using at least one form of EP. Risk factors included female gender (OR = 1.414, p < 0.01), age (OR = 1.015, p < 0.001), equivalent income (OR = 1.000, p < 0.01), parental stress (OR = 1.040, p < 0.001), child physical abuse (OR = 2.239, p < 0.001), child sexual abuse (OR = 2.135, p < 0.05) and CEA history (OR = 3.784, p < 0.001). Gender (OR = 2.404, p < 0.05) and age (OR = 1.029, p < 0.05) moderated the relationship between CEA history and EP use, while parental stress attenuated this effect (OR = 0.966, p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

EP use is highly prevalent in Germany and linked to intergenerational cycles of emotional violence. Further research, awareness, and targeted prevention and intervention strategies for high-risk groups are needed.