Parental Corporal Punishment and Girls' Self-Esteem: The Moderating Effects of Girls' Agency and Communion in China

The current study aimed to examine the moderating effects of girls' agency and communion in the links between both fathers' and mothers' corporal punishment and girls' self-esteem in China. Chinese girls (n = 302) enrolled in grades 4-8 were instructed to independently complete the Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scale (CTSPC), the Children's Sex Role Inventory (CSRI), the Global Self-Worth subscale of Self-Perception Profile for Children (SPPC), and demographic items. Results indicated that both fathers' and mothers' corporal punishment were not directly associated with girls' self-esteem, whereas both agency and communion were positively associated with girls' self-esteem. In addition, both fathers' and mothers' corporal punishment were significantly and negatively associated with self-esteem for girls with lower levels of agency but not for the girls with higher levels of agency. The current results extend the growing evidence against using corporal punishment as a child-rearing practice and highlight that intervention programs need to focus on eliminating, or at least decreasing, both mothers' and fathers' corporal punishment. Additionally, parents and educators need to move from the traditional gender-related attributes to encourage the development of both agency and communion in girls.