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Thesis (MA - Childhood and Youth Studies) - University of Otago, 2005. This thesis explored the views of 80 children, aged between 5 and 14 years from 5 locations in New Zealand about the parental use of family discipline, and examined whether age and gender influenced their views. Significantly, the study demonstrated that

This qualitative research project explored the views of 80 children, aged between 5 and 14 years from five locations in New Zealand about the parental use of family discipline. It also examined whether age and gender influenced their views. Focus group discussions were used to elicit the children's views. It was demonstrated that all the children, irrespective of age or gender, had considerable understanding and insight into their own and other people's behaviour and feelings when family discipline occurred. Children's reports indicated that the parental disciplinary message is often not understood, is delivered in an inconsistent manner and without implicit instructions to children. If parents used a more inductive style of parenting, the children said that disciplinary messages would be better understood and internalised by them. Age and gender differences emerged when children discussed the use of physical punishment as a means of family discipline. Support for the use of physical punishment increased as age increased, with older boys more likely to support it. Children reported greater severity and frequency of the use of physical punishment than did adults. The children's reports showed that fathers' disciplinary practices had consequences in the disciplining of children. Children began to rationalise parental use of physical punishment in terms of children's status in society and the perceived inevitability of physical punishment in their lives. The views of older children began to mirror those of commonly held adult views on the justification for its use. The research makes suggestions for policy change in terms of government policy and public education.

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