Higher Levels of Harsh Parenting During the COVID-19 Lockdown in the Netherlands

Previous studies on the impact of COVID-19 indicate that pandemic-related distress increases risks for child maltreatment, although data on the scope of this problem are still scarce. Here, we assessed whether parents with toddlers (n = 206) more often used harsh discipline during the lockdown in th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Child maltreatment 2022-05, Vol.27 (2), p.156-162
Main Authors: Sari, Novika Purnama, van IJzendoorn, Marinus H., Jansen, Pauline, Bakermans-Kranenburg, Marian, Riem, Madelon M. E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abused children
Academic disciplines
Brief Report
Case-Control Studies
Child Abuse
Child abuse & neglect
Child Abuse - statistics & numerical data
Child Rearing
Children
Coronaviruses
COVID-19
COVID-19 - complications
COVID-19 - epidemiology
COVID-19 - psychology
Humans
Infant
Netherlands - epidemiology
Obedience
Pandemics
Parenting
Parents
Parents & parenting
Propensity
Psychological distress
Quarantine - psychology
Shelter in place
Toddlers
Tolerance
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Summary:Previous studies on the impact of COVID-19 indicate that pandemic-related distress increases risks for child maltreatment, although data on the scope of this problem are still scarce. Here, we assessed whether parents with toddlers (n = 206) more often used harsh discipline during the lockdown in the Netherlands compared to a matched parent sample collected prior to the pandemic (n = 1,030). Parents were matched on background characteristics using propensity score matching. We found that harsh parenting levels were significantly elevated compared to pre-pandemic levels. Harsh parenting behaviors with a low prevalence before COVID-19 increased most strongly: shaking, calling names, and calling the child stupid. These results suggest that parental tolerance for children’s disobedience is lower under the adverse circumstances of COVID-19 and, as a result, abusive parenting responses are more difficult to inhibit. Thus, a lockdown seems to increase risks for child maltreatment, underscoring the need for effective support strategies for at-risk families.
ISSN:1077-5595
1552-6119
DOI:10.1177/10775595211024748