Building a Safe and Healthy America: Eliminating Corporal Punishment via Positive Parenting.

corporal punishment (CP) is associated with negative short-term and long-term children outcomes. However, many caregivers continue to administer spankings and other forms of CP. Pediatric nurse practitioners are in a unique position to affect change in parental behavior related to CP use and other parenting practices. This article will summarize the research on the dangers of CP and the corresponding benefits of positive parenting. It defines positive parenting and offers resources pediatric health care providers, including pediatric nurse practitioners, can use to educate both themselves and caregivers about specific discipline techniques appropriate to each developmental stage. Finally, it suggests practice strategies pediatric nurse practitioners can use to help caregivers replace CP and other harsh parenting practices with positive parenting to build a safe and healthy America.

Child Maltreatment Screening and Anticipatory Guidance: A Description of Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Practice Behaviors.

INTRODUCTION: Given the number of children affected by child maltreatment and the dire consequences that can develop, prompt identification of child maltreatment is crucial. The purpose of this study was to describe pediatric nurse practitioner (PNP) practice behaviors related to screening and providing anticipatory guidance for child maltreatment and its psychosocial risk factors. METHOD: The Risk Assessment Survey was developed for this study by 12 PNPs, all of whom were members of NAPNAP's Child Maltreatment Special Interest Group to ensure face validity; all 12 PNPs were content experts in child maltreatment. The content of the survey was derived from key characteristics from the evidence on child maltreatment. The survey was emailed to the more than 8500 NAPNAP members. RESULTS: Two hundred forty-three PNPs responded to the survey, which represents a response rate of 3%. Approximately half of the participants (n = 121; 51%) stated that they never/rarely ask parents questions about domestic violence, more than one-fourth (n = 71; 30%) reported that they never/rarely ask parents questions about discipline, and half of the responding PNPs (n = 120; 50%) reported that they perform an ano-genital exam at well visits. DISCUSSION: This study demonstrates that a significant number of PNPs do not routinely screen for child maltreatment and psychosocial risk factors. This is especially true in regards to sexual abuse screening and anticipatory guidance.

Corporal Punishment: Evaluation of an Intervention by PNPs.

INTRODUCTION: Corporal punishment (CP) is defined as the use of physical force with the intention of causing a child to experience pain but not injury for the purpose of correction or control of the child's behavior. CP has been linked to a variety of negative consequences for children, including physical abuse, eternalizing behavioral problems, and slowed cognitive development. Many American children continue to experience CP at the hands of their parents and other caregivers. The purpose of this study was to evaluate learner attitude toward CP before and after implementation of a pediatric nurse practitioner-designed educational intervention and influences upon learner attitude and beliefs about CP. METHOD: This study used a pre- and postsurvey design to assess learner attitude about CP before and after participation in an educational intervention. Influences upon learner attitudes and beliefs regarding CP were also described. Learners (N = 882) were health care providers. RESULTS: Nearly all learners (n = 747; 84.7%) stated that the way their parents disciplined them influenced their attitudes toward CP. Fewer than one fifth of learners who were also parents (n = 126; 14.4%) reported that their child's health care provider had ever discussed child discipline with them. Prior to the educational intervention, more than one third of learners (n = 351; 39.88%) endorsed spanking as sometimes necessary, yet significantly fewer learners (n = 251; 28.9%; p < .001) made this statement after the educational intervention. Child discipline management was included in the health care provider education for fewer than half of learners (n = 365; 41.4%). DISCUSSION: The potential for experiencing CP as a child to result in negative consequences for children has been well documented, yet many American parents continue to use CP as a form of child discipline, and some pediatric health care professionals continue to endorse its use. Pediatric health care providers, including nurses and pediatric nurse practitioners, need to be educated about child discipline and CP. All pediatric health care providers need to advocate for the use of positive parenting principles and discourage the use of CP.