Journal
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH
Volume 29, Issue 5, Pages 999-1016Publisher
PALGRAVE MACMILLAN LTD
DOI: 10.1057/s41287-017-0104-5
Keywords
Uganda; mothers/motherhood; parenting; corporal punishment; discipline; qualitative; parenting interventions
Categories
Funding
- Sexual Health and Families Programme at the MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow [MC_UU_12017/2]
- Children, Young People, Families and Health Programme at the MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow [MC_UU_12017/9]
- Social Relationships and Health Improvement Research Programme at the MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow [MC_UU_12017-11]
- UK Medical Research Council (MRC)
- UK Department for International Development (DFID) under the MRC/DFID Concordat agreement
- European Union
- MRC [MC_UU_12017/9, MC_U130031238, MC_UP_A540_1108, MC_U950097152, MC_UU_12017/2, MC_UU_12017/11] Funding Source: UKRI
- Chief Scientist Office [SPHSU11] Funding Source: researchfish
- Medical Research Council [MC_UP_A540_1108, MC_UU_12017/11, MC_U130031238, MC_UU_12017/2, MC_U950097152, MC_UU_12017/9] Funding Source: researchfish
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Corporal punishment in the early years is associated with antisocial behaviour and violence, but little is known about its social and cultural context in low-income countries. This paper analyses how 12 deprived women in Kampala, Uganda, perceived corporal punishment, drawing on repeated semi-structured interviews. All thought it was sometimes necessary, for three main reasons. First, it was an important strategy to ensure good behaviour and maintain their and their child's, respectability, crucial to self-respect given severe poverty. Second, it was a means of establishing household routines and managing scarce resources. Third, it was a way to protect children from health risks. However, all mothers thought corporal punishment could be excessive, and most said it can be counter-productive, making children 'stubborn'. There appeared to be considerable variation in their degree of harsh parenting and emotional support. These findings could inform culturally appropriate interventions to reduce violence against children.
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