PHYSICAL PUNISHMENT AND SIGNS OF MENTAL DISTRESS IN NORMAL ADOLESCENTS

Adolescents (375 males and 496 females) were administered the Brief Sy mptom Inventory (BSI), the General Well-Being Scale (GWB), the Parenta l Bonding Instrument (PBI), and two questions about each parent, suppl ementing the PBI, tapping violent punitive behavior. Signs of mental d istress in adolescents and reported physical punishment from parents w ere analyzed. Results indicated that greater physical punishment was a ssociated with higher levels of psychiatric symptoms and lower general well-being. These results persisted after controlling for parental at titudes, as quantified by the PBI, and socioeconomic status. The findi ngs of this study can contribute to efforts to raise public awareness of the negative consequences of physical punishment on the mental heal th of children.