Poster #21

A mixed methods pilot study to investigate Adverse Childhood Experiences and discipline beliefs and practices

By: Ellen Chiocca, PhD, APRN, CPNP-PC

Abstract:

This mixed-methods, sequential explanatory pilot study (n= 30) aimed to explore relationships between homeless parents’ adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), their beliefs about the appropriateness of spanking children, and their opinions regarding a no-spank policy that the homeless shelter was about to implement. ACEs were measured using the ACEs Questionnaire (Felitti et al., 1998). Beliefs about spanking children were measured using the Attitudes Toward Spanking (ATS) scale (Holden, 1995). Relationships between ACEs and ATS were analyzed using Pearson Correlation Coefficient, and the results showed no significant relationship between these variables. Focus groups were then held to ask shelter residents to voice their opinions regarding the imminent no spank policy. Conventional content analysis was used to analyze participants’ comments and to identify themes. Analyses of qualitative responses showed strong support for spanking: (a) beliefs that hitting children is a parent’s right (b) beliefs about cultural and religious support for spanking, (c) parental depression and hopelessness affect their decisions to hit their children and (d) the stress of parenting while homeless is frequently too much to bear.

Ellen Chiocca, PhD, APRN, CPNP-PC

Dr. Chiocca is an Assistant Teaching Professor with the University of Missouri Sinclair School of Nursing in Columbia, Missouri. She has taught the nursing of children for over 30 years, while maintaining her clinical practice as a pediatric nurse practitioner. She has published over 30 articles in nursing, in addition to one nursing textbook, which was the first place recipient of the 2020 American Journal Book of the Year Award in Child Health. She also co-authored the NAPNAP position statement, “Utilizing Positive Parenting to Eliminate Corporal Punishment. Dr. Chiocca is a board member of the U.S. Alliance to End the Hitting of Children, a member of the National No Hit Zone Committee and Arkansans Against School Paddling.