Third of US parents doubt benefits of discipline

NEW YORK (Reuters) - About one in three parents in the United States and Canada do not think their methods of disciplining their children work well, according to a U.S. study.

Dr. Shari Barkin, chief of general pediatrics at Tennessee's Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt found 31 percent of about 5,000 parents surveyed said they "never" or "sometimes" perceived their methods to be effective.

Many of those reported turning into their own parents when it came to discipline, with 38 percent using the same methods their own parents used on them as children.

"It was surprising to see how many parents feel that disciplining their children is ineffective," Barkin said in a telephone interview. "Many are using the same techniques their parents used on them but don't think they really work."

The study, based on a survey of parents through community-based doctors in 32 U.S. states, Puerto Rico and Canada, found the most common form of discipline was using time-outs, with 45 percent of parents using this method.

It found 41.5 percent of parents removed privileges, while 13 percent reported yelling at their children, and 8.5 percent reported the use of spanking "often or always."

"We strongly suspect that both yelling and spanking might be underreported," said Barkin, whose study is published in the January issue of the journal Clinical Pediatrics.

She said by the time children reach the 6-to-11 year old age range, parents are about 25 percent less likely to report using time-outs and spanking as they were with younger children.

When children reached school age, parents report a more frequent use of taking away privileges and yelling.

But even in the older age range, perception that the discipline might not be working persisted.

"Disciplining is something we do daily as parents but if this many parents think it is ineffective, it highlights the need to discuss other way to teach children how to resolve conflicts," she said.