This thesis demonstrates the explanatory benefits that derive from reconceptualising child abuse as a form of child discipline. By testing five theories of child discipline on data derived from a random sample of Toronto families, it is shown that various styles of child discipline--labelled violent, mixed and proactive-- are influenced to varying degrees by different subsets of causes, and that the importance of different subsets of causes varies by parent's gender. Methodological and practical issues pertaining to the study and prevention of child abuse are also discussed.
Specifically, the thesis shows that: (1) The important factors determining the use of violent disciplining by mothers are belief in the efficacy of physical punishment and family income. Only employment status was able to explain variation in the fathers' use of a violent discipline style. (2) In the case of the proactive, positive discipline pattern, there is a strong social learning component. Childhood experience with proactive discipline is the single most important predictive factor for both mothers and fathers. Fathers who work fewer hours are also more likely to use a proactive discipline style. (3) The intergenerational transmission of discipline patterns further accounts for the greatest amount of variation in the fathers' use of the mixed style. Scores also increase according to the amount of time that fathers spend with their children. In the case of the mothers, the important factors were number of hours employed, belief in the efficacy of physical punishment, and whether the mother was raised with this style as a child.Ph.D
