Research - Children experiencing violence

This research was carried out by the Center of Public Opinion Researches "Vilmorus" for children rights organisation "Gelbekit Vaikus" (Save the Children Lithuania) between 4th and 7th of December 1998. 1002 adult Lithuanians were surveyed a few questions about corporal punishment towards children. Here we present the results of the research with a short comment.

The research aimed at giving a retrospective insight into a problem of violence towards children in Lithuania. The respondents were answering questions about corporal punishment which they experienced themselves during their childhood as well as about the way they treat their own children now. The outcome of the research is that the situation hasn't changed a lot since the past.

 

1. Were you beaten by your parents or tutors?
• Yes, often - 3,4%
• Sometimes - 48,3%
• No - 48,3%
This shows that approximately half of the respondents were beaten in their childhood: 48,3% of them sometimes and 3,4% - often. 48.3% were not beaten at all.

 

2. Why were you beaten? (not more than 3 answers; respond the beaten ones, N= 518)
• Because of disobedience - 80,9%
• Because of lie - 23,7%
• Because of bad marks - 17%
• Because of disappearing from home - 6,9%
• Because of smoking - 6,8%
• Because of friendship with "bad" company - 6,6%
• Because of drinking alcohol - 0,4%
• Other - 6,6%
As we can see, in the majority of cases (80,9%) physical punishment was caused by child's disobedience. Another two most popular reasons to beat a child were lies (23,7%) and bad marks (17,0%).

 

3. Do you beat/used to beat your children? (answer those who have/ had child, N=815)
• I do/ I used to rather often - 1,0%
• I do/ I used to sometimes - 49,4%
• I don't/ I didn't - 49,6%
Almost half of the respondents (49,6%) claim they don't beat/didn't beat their children. Approximately the same percentage of respondents beats or used to beat their children: 49,4% - sometimes, 1,0% - often.

 

4. Why do you beat/used to beat your children? (not more than 3 answers; respond those who beat/ used to beat their children, N=410)
• Because of disobedience - 83,7%
• Because of lie - 31,5%
• Because of bad marks - 9,8%
• Because of friendship with "bad" company - 6,1%
• Because of disapearing from home - 4,6%
• Because of smoking - 4,6%
• Because of drinking alkohole - 1,5%
• Because of druggs - 0,5%
• Other - 6,1%
These numbers show that nowadays physical punishment is used for the same reasons as it used to be during the childhood of the respondents - because of disobedience (83,7%), lying (31,5%) and bad marks (9,8%).

 

Therefore, physical punishment is not anything rare in Lithuanian homes. At the same time only 24,3% of questioned persons consider corporal punishments as a real help to become a better person.
5. Do you think that physical punishment helps to become a better person?
• It does - 24,3%
• It does not - 58,3%
• Difficult to say - 17,5%

 

6. Do you agree with the statement that physical punishment is a necessary instrument of child's upbringing?
• Yes, I do - 11,3%
• Rather yes - 10,7%
• Rather not - 13,0%
• No, I do not - 57,0%
• It is difficult to say - 8,0%
Most of the respondents (70%) disagree with the opinion that physical punishment is a necessary instrument of upbringing. However, considerable percentage (22%) sustains this statement.

 

7. Do you think that physical punishment should be forbidden by law?
• It should be forbidden - 48,6%
• It should not be forbidden - 29,5%
• It is difficult to say - 21,9%
Majority of the respondents (48,6%) think that corporal punishment should be forbidden by law. However, almost one third (29,5%) of them thinks it should not be.

 

Presented research shows the social attitude to the corporal punishment as well as the real situation regarding this problem in Lithuanian families. First of all it seems that this kind of punishment is present in many Lithuanian homes. Another conclusion is that upbringing methods are transferred from generation to generation and also the reasons to punish do not change despite the passage of time.